Brazil exported nearly 2 million tons of polyolefins, styrenic polymers, vinyl polymers and PET in 2016, up 28% from 2015.

Exports increased for every polymer group, with particularly large percentage increases on shipments of polypropylene, up 39%, polystyrene, up 63%, PVC, up 77%, and PET, up 98%.

Western Europe was the top extra-regional destination for Brazil’s exports of polyethylene and polypropylene. Brazil’s styrenic polymers and also PET went primarily to North America; PVC mainly to Asia-Pacific.

Brazil imported 1.6 million tons of commodity polymers in 2016, down 3% from the prior year.

Imports of most polymers declined: ethylene polymers, down 4%; styrenic polymers, down 10%; vinyl polymers, down 8%; PET, down 10%. An exception was imports of propylene polymers, 296,000 tons, up 10% on heavier volumes from Argentina, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, others.

From International Trader Publications’: Brazil Polymer Trade Report