Monthly Archives: July 2025

China’s Exports of Fabricated Plastic Products to US Reduced by Tariffs

China exports numerous fabricated plastic products that can be identified by specific polymer, and many other products that involve mixed polymers. Exports of most of these to the US were down June 2025 YTD.

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China/Vietnam Trade in Several Major Polymers and Chemicals Unlikely to Include Significant Transshipments

A new trade agreement between the US and Vietnam lowers tariffs on goods imported into US from Vietnam as the country of origin but keeps tariffs high if the goods are transshipped from China. Trade between China and Vietnam does not indicate significant transshipments for polyolefins and other products.

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US Polyethylene Exports in May 2025 Continued Depressed on Lower China Trade

Chinese retaliatory tariffs on imports of polyethylene from the US resulted in a 24% drop in US shipments to China for the January – May 2025 period, to 822,000 tons. That decline was somewhat offset by higher volumes to other markets, resulting in a 4% increase in the US total, to 6.5 million tons YTD.

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New US Sanctions on Russian Petrochemical Exports, if Passed, Would: Impact Trade in Polyolefins, Liquefied Gases, Rubber and Other Products; Affect Many Importing Countries; and Cripple Russia’s Economy

The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, introduced in both the US Senate and the House of Representatives in April 2025, is currently in committee. Its enactment is far from certain and depends on negotiations toward peace between Russia and Ukraine. Were it to pass, the impact on Russia would be crippling because of the country’s reliance on exports of energy and related products.

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