Category Archives: Trade Trends

Sharp Rise in Polycarbonate Film and Sheet Global Trade Projected for 2020, up 22%

Many countries reported record high imports of PC film and sheet from the second quarter of the year, on strong demand for personal protection equipment.

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Unprecedented Imports of PMMA Film/Sheet Globally

The need for PMMA film and sheet in personal protective equipment resulted in a stunning surge in imports into countries all over the globe during the April – August 2020 period, and also record exports from several.

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Export volumes of Key US Petrochemical and Gas Products to China Have Risen Sharply Under the Phase I Trade Deal

US exports through August 2020 of a number of polymers, liquefied gases and organic chemicals showed huge percentage increases versus the same period in 2019.

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Trends in PET Global Trade – Bottle Grade and Other

Polyethylene terephthalate polymer is traded under two forms: bottle grade PET, and, other than bottle grade. There are substantial differences between them in terms of end uses, trade volume, and trade trends.

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China’s PE and PP Imports Slow in July and August 2020

China’s imports of ethylene polymers dropped from a record high of 2.1 million tons in June to 1.8 million tons in August. Imports of propylene polymers fell from 840,000 tons in June, another record, to 580,000 tons. Despite the declines, imports YTD are up substantially for both polymer groups.

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China Imported Record Volumes of PE, PP, PS and PVC in June 2020

Economic recovery was apparent in the stunning surge in China’s imports of virtually every major grade of commodity polymer in June. Import volume for the month, 3.6 million tons, was unprecedented and raised China’s YTD import total to 15.9 million tons, up 8% from the first half of 2019.

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