Through May, 2017, China imported a total of 5.4 million tons of ethylene polymers, up 17% from the same period in 2016. Iran supplied 823,000 tons, or 15%, of the total, down 7%. A  restriction on imports into China from Iran, will likely be made up by Saudi Arabia, US, Korea and UAE, among others.

Iran supplied 529,000 tons of HDPE to China through May 2017, down 8% from the prior year, 239,000 tons of LDPE, down 2%, and 54,000 tons of LLDPE, down 24%.  Other high volume suppliers to China, with gains May YTD, included: HDPE – Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Korea, US, Thailand and Mexico; LDPE – Saudi Arabia, US, UAE and Russia; LLDPE – Saudi Arabia, Thailand, UAE and US.

From International Trader Publications’: China Polymer Trade Report