The volume of LDPE polymer traded globally, 4.4 million tons, was up 3% through May, 2015, based on reporting countries. Expanded trade within Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and increased imports into Latin America and Eastern Europe were factors in the higher global trade volume. Shipments by two of the top three exporting regions, Middle East and North America, were down, and shipments from Western Europe were unchanged, lower volumes to Asia-Pacific a factor. Continue reading
Category Archives: Trade Trends
HDPE: Current Global Trade Trends
The volume of HDPE polymer traded globally, 7.3 million tons, was up 5% through May, 2015, based on reporting countries. Among the top exporting regions, shipments from the Middle East, Western Europe and Asia-Pacific increased; North America’s were down; markets shifted between exporters. Continue reading
China’s Shipments of Fabricated Plastic Products Reach A New High
Through May, 2015, China exported 3.3 million tons of an aggregated group of products fabricated entirely from plastics, up 9% from the prior year. Volume in May for the group set a new record. Shipments have trended upward each year since at least 2011. Continue reading
China’s Imports of Recycle PE Drop; Virgin Polymer Imports Post Gains
China’s imports of recycle polyethylene totaled 1.4 million tons through May, 2015, down 23% from the prior year. Continue reading
China’s Polymer Imports Set Another Record
Following the highest volume ever recorded on China’s imports of virgin commodity polymers, in March 2015, imports eased in April but set another record for that month. Continue reading
Huge jump in China’s polyolefin imports
The end of the Chinese New Year holiday, low prices, plus a new government stimulus effort and the anticipation of additional measures to come, resulted in a massive increase in China’s imports of polyolefin and other polymers in March, 2015. Continue reading
DEG – Major Trade Trends in 2014
ITP’s analysis of global trade in diethylene glycol indicates a 6% increase in the volume traded in 2014 versus 2013, to 1.4 million tons. Trends in global trade volume generally indicate trends in demand.
Polystyrene – Major Trade Trends in 2014
ITP’s analysis of global trade in polystyrene indicates a 4% drop in the volume of general purpose polystyrene traded in 2014 versus 2013, to 3.3 million tons, and, a 2% increase in the volume of expandable polystyrene traded, to 2.2 million tons. Trends in global trade volume generally indicate trends in global demand.
Propylene Copolymers – Major Trade Trends in 2014
ITP’s analysis of global trade in propylene copolymers – olefin polymers in which propylene is the predominant comonomer by weight, excluding homopolymer – indicates a 4% increase in the volume of polymer traded in 2014 versus 2013, to 7.9 million tons. Trends in global trade volume generally indicate trends in global demand.
Polyethylene – Major Trade Trends in 2014
ITP’s analysis of global trade indicates a 3% increase in the volume of LDPE traded in 2014 versus 2013, to 12.1 million tons, a 1% decline in the volume of LLDPE traded, to 9.6 million tons, and, a 1% gain in the volume of HDPE traded, to 18.6 million tons. Trends in global trade volume generally indicate trends in global demand. Continue reading