Category Archives: Trade Trends

US Exports of Ethylene Polymers in April 2021 Fell to Their Lowest Level in More Than Two Years, While Prices Rose to Levels not Seen Since 2018.

The US exported 3.36 million tons through April, down 11%. Reduced shipments of HDPE and ethylene alpha olefins copolymers were not offset by higher volumes of conventional high pressure LDPE and EVA. Average prices soared on reduced supply and strong demand.

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Trends in Global Trade in Recyclable PE, Styrenics, PVC, PET, PP and Others

The volume of global trade in recyclable polymers in 2020 was less than half of what it was five years ago. The amount of recyclable polymer traded fell from 15.3 million tons in 2016, to 7.0 million tons in 2020. The rate of decline slowed markedly in 2019 and 2020

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The Volume of RPE Traded Globally Fell by 45% from 2016 to 2020, Dropping from 5.1 to 2.8 Million Tons

Key trends included: a dramatic drop in trade within the Asia-Pacific region; much lower imports into Asia-Pacific from other regions: much higher imports into Eastern Europe.

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Turkey’s Ban on Imports of R-PE Will Impact More Than 360,000 Tons of Exports From Western Europe

Public outcry in Turkey over piles of plastic waste dumped on roadsides, burning, and floating in rivers led the Turkish government to ban imports of recyclable polyethylene. In 2020, imports of RPE from Western Europe totaled 360,000 tons.

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China’s Demand for PE and PP Imports Dropped in April, 2021; Exports of PVC Continued at Record Levels

After a moderate rebound in imports in March, following the Chinese New Year Holiday, imports into China fell substantially in April. China exported extremely high volumes of PVC in both March and April.

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Ten-Year History of Western Europe’s Trade in Recyclable Polyethylene

Over the period 2011 to 2020 there has been a dramatic drop in Western Europe’s total exports to other regions, an increase in exports to Eastern Europe which only partially compensated for much lower volumes to Asia-Pacific, and, increased trade within the region.

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