Shipments totaled 5.3 million tons for the year, with volumes at record high levels early in the year, a slowdown from May through November, then a surge in December.

The US exported 2.0 million tons of HDPE in 2017, down 14%. Shipments of conventional high pressure polyethylene were 792,000 tons, up 6%; EVA, 200,000 tons, up 5%; linear low density polyethylene, over 1.7 million tons.

Shipments to Latin America accounted for just under half the US export total; Asia-Pacific, 22%; Western Europe, 7%; Canada, 17%.

From International Trader Publications’ United States Polymer Trade Report – an on line analysis of US imports and exports of commodity polymers, recycle polymers and fabricated plastic products.