Although final trade statistics for 2024 will not be available for many countries until March of 2025, ITP’s analysis of trends for individual countries indicates expanded global trade volume in 2024 for the majority of products. Increased global trade generally indicates increased demand.
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Polyethylene is Traded Globally in Three Forms
Global trade in virgin polyethylene, fabricated polyethylene products and recyclable polyethylene is quantifiable and gives a more complete understand of trends for this polymer.
Continue readingUS Dockworkers Strike Would have Impacted Large Volumes of PE and PVC Polymer Exports
The strike begun at midnight, September 30th, by the International Longshoreman’s Association, and ended a few days later, had the potential to disrupt US polymer exports, particularly of polyethylene and PVC, particularly large volumes of which are shipped out of Houston-Galveston, Texas.
Continue readingTrends in US Exports of LNG, Liquefied Propane, Ethane, and Butane
Through July, 2024, the United States exported 53.1 million tons of LNG, up 2% from the same period in the prior year. The US also exported large volumes of other gases, some of which are produced during natural gas processing: 28.5 million tons of liquefied propane gas, up 10%, 5.8 million tons of liquefied ethane, down 3%, and 4.8 million tons of liquefied butane gas, down 2%.The US Energy Information Agency says that five new LNG export projects are under construction in the US, with shipments from two projects lilkely to begin at the end of 2024.
Continue readingMajor Trends in China’s Polymer Trade August 2024 YTD: Low Polyolefin Imports; Growing Polymer Exports; Record Shipments of Plastic Products
A slow economy, weak domestic demand and the availability of new capacity are reflected in China’s polymer trade. Through August, China imported 15.9 million tons of commodity polymers, unchanged from the same period last year and substantially lower than in earlier periods; exported growing volumes, with 9.9 million tons shipped through August, up 27%; and, shipped a record 12.5 million tons of identifiable plastic products, up 17%. Commodity polymers include polyolefins, styrenics, vinyl polymers and PET.
Continue readingMost Widely-Traded Petrochemicals and Related Products Will Show Increased Global Trade Volume September 2024 YTD Versus September 2023 YTD
Gains or declines in global trade volume have wide-ranging implications for shippers, producers, marketers and planners.
Continue readingIran’s Petrochemical Exports Expand in the First Half of 2024.
Methanol, polyethylene (LDPE and HDPE) and mono-ethylene glycol were Iran’s leading petrochemical exports (excluding liquefied gases) in the first half of 2024. Shipments of each were up versus the same period in 2023, mainly on increased exports to China.
Continue readingPetrochemical Trade – Turkey Aims to Accelerate Free Trade Negotiations with the GCC, Potentially Impacting 1.8 Million Tons of Polyolefin Imports – International Trader Publications
Turkey imported 668,000 tons of polyethylene and 1.1 million tons of polypropylene from the GCC in 2023. The duty rate was 6.5% on virtually all grades.
Continue readingPetrochemical Trade – India’s Adani Group to Add PVC Capacity by 2026 – International Trader Publications
Adani Enterprises reported plans for 2 million tons of new PVC capacity in Mundra, Gujarat, with startup of 1 million tons, in phase one, by December 2026. India’s imports of PVC have trended upward in recent years, hitting a high of 3.2 million tons in 2023. The new PVC plant would be the Adani Group’s, a diversified organization with a world-class transport and utility infrastructure portfolio, first petrochemical venture.
Continue readingIndia is the World’s Top PVC Importer. Volume Jumped 70% in 2023
China continued as India’s leading source but imports from many other suppliers also surged, including Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and the United States.
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