The highest import volumes ever recorded for China were in January 2014 for LDPE, HDPE, and polypropylene homo-polymer. The new record highs on monthly imports recorded in January 2014 were: LDPE, 248,000 tons; HDPE, 493,000 tons; PP homo-polymer, 448,000 tons. Imports of LLDPE were 272,000 tons, just 2000 tons short of the earlier record set in August 2011.

China’s polyolefin imports had trended strongly upward in November and December 2013, but the surge in January 2014 was exceptionally high, given the start of the New Year holiday at the end of the month.