Monthly Archives: January 2020

China’s Ban on Plastic Bags Likely to Impact Imports of Polymers and Exports of PE Bags

By the end of 2020, China will ban plastic bags in major cities and, by 2022, country-wide. China is the world’s largest importer of the polyethylene used to manufacture bags, in addition to producing large volumes of polyethylene domestically. China exports large volumes of polyethylene bags.

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Phase I of the China – US Trade Agreement Includes Increased Imports into China of LNG, Liquefied Propane and Butane, Caustic Soda and Most Organic and Inorganic Chemicals

During the two-year period from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021, China has agreed to increase by $200 billion purchases from the United States of manufactured goods, agriculture, energy and services.

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China Removes Tariffs on Four Specific Grades of Polyolefins from the US, Prior to the Phase I China – US Trade Agreement

China removed the 25% tariff on imports from the US of specific grades of HDPE, linear low density polyethylene, polypropylene and ethylene-propylene copolymers as of December 26, 2019.

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China’s Imports of Ethylene Polymers Hit a New High in November, 2019. Fabricated Product Exports Remained Depressed.

China’s imports of ethylene polymers surged in November in advance of the Chinese New Year holiday that begins January 25, 2020. Exports of fabricated products trended higher in October and November, but remained below levels reached earlier in the year, and also in 2018, largely because of the trade war with the US.

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