Monthly Archives: December 2020

Contrasts Between Iran and United Arab Emirates Exports of Polyethylene

Iran and UAE do not publish timely trade statistics, but, their exports are visible in large part from trading partner import statistics. For Iran, these show a drop in polyethylene exports through August 2020 and dependence on a limited number of markets; for UAE, these show export growth and a broader range of markets.

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Record Imports into China of LLDPE and HDPE, and, Changes in Suppliers

As it did in 2009 during the financial crisis, China buttressed the global petrochemical industry with record imports of LLDPE and HDPE during the 2020 pandemic. Volume was heavy from May through October 2020. Much higher imports from North America (US), Eastern Europe (Russia) and other Asia-Pacific, and a drop in imports of LLDPE from the Middle East, were prominent supply changes.

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