Over 9 million tons of benzene were traded globally in 2015, up 16% from 2014. Prominent regional trends during the year included:  higher Asia-Pacific exports and also expanded trade within that region; increased imports into North America; increased imports into Western Europe; and, in the Middle East sharply higher trade, both imports and exports, with imports exceeding exports. Early data for 2016 indicates a continuation of these trends.

Asia-Pacific exported over 2 million tons of benzene in 2015, up 12%, with 1.3 million tons shipped to North America, up 15%, and 600,000 tons to the Middle East, up 26% (India and South Korea leading exporters to the latter). Trade within the Asia-Pacific region jumped 30%, to 3.0 million tons.

US imports in 2015 from sources other than Canada totaled 1.9 million tons, up 16%, supplied mainly by Asia-Pacific (Korea, Japan), followed by Western Europe (Netherlands, Belgium) and Latin America (Brazil). An upward trend in US imports has been evident since 2014 and through February 2016, although volume February YTD of 383,000 tons (ex Canada) was down 10% in comparison with an unusually high volume early in 2015.

Western Europe imported 1.2 million tons in 2015, up 7% on higher volumes from Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Imports visible in 2015 into the Middle East were 600,000 tons , up 26%; exports were 570,000 tons, up 61%, shipped mainly to Asia-Pacific and Western Europe.

From: International Trader Publications’: Benzene World Trade Report. For a free trial contact ITP@ITPweb.com