The conflict that began in Iran on February 28, 2026 has spread across the region, curtailing production and delaying or rerouting shipments of ethylene through the Strait of Hormuz. Middle East shipments of ethylene in 2025 were 238,000 tons, accounting for 20% of total global exports of 1.2 million tons.

North America was, by far, the world’s largest exporter of ethylene, shipping 771,000 tons in 2025. This was primarily to Western Europe where high energy costs and weak demand have led to closures of uncompetitive naphtha crackers and announcements of further closures, as reported by Chemicals United.

With secure supplies and advantaged feedstocks, North America is poised to fill any supply gap for ethylene stemming from conflict in the Middle East, and also to increase exports of ethane, particularly to China.

The Middle East exported nearly all of its ethylene to Asia-Pacific. Oman was the largest exporting country in the region, shipping almost all of the monomer to China.

From International Trader Publication’s Ethylene World Trade Analysis, a continuously updated analysis of trade based on latest statistics from all reporting countries.