Regional export flows shifted in 2025, pressured by lower global trade volume, weak demand and new capacity.

ITP’s projections for global trade volume have consistently been within two percentage points of final data. The trend in global trade volume generally indicates the trend in global demand, given supply availability.

Trade volume in 2025 is projected down across the methacrylate chain – monomer, polymer and film/sheet, by -1% to -4%.

New capacity for methyl methacrylate added by Roehm early in 2025 resulted in higher US exports of the monomer, noting gains to Europe. Shipments are expected to increase in 2026. As volumes from US increased to Western and Eastern Europe, exports from the Middle East to those regions fell. The Middle East (essentially all Saudi Arabia) posted large gains to Asia-Pacific.

Projected export volumes, below, exclude intra-regional trade. (Note: trade in methyl methacrylate is estimated to comprise roughly 80% of total methacrylates trade.)

With global demand down for PMMA polymer, Western Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific vied for market share.

Asia-Pacific was, by far, the world’s largest exporter of PMMA film/sheet to other regions. China’s exports to all destinations, including within Asia-Pacific, climbed for most of the year and totaled 182,000 tons through September, up 28% .

From International Trader Publications’ World Trade Analyses on methacrylates, PMMA polymer, and PMMA film/sheet, continuously updated based on the latest statistics from all publishing countries.