The increase in the third quarter followed a steep drop in the second, suggesting that Saudi Arabia has successfully redirected more polyethylene shipments via alternative routes to the Strait of Hormuz, and possibly that some progress has been made in moving material through the Strait itself.

Polymer exports continue constrained because of the Strait of Hormuz, temporary shutdown of the East-West Pipeline in Saudi Arabia, disruptions at Bab el Mandeb in the Red Sea (ChemOrbis), and on-going conflict. SABIC plans a massive expansion in the East-West pipeline, to bypass the Strait of Hormuz (OilPrice).

China imported 1.2 million tons of polyethylene (all grades) from Saudi Arabia through September 2026, down 29%. Imports from UAE were 0.8 million tons, down 51%; from Iran 0.4 million tons, down 69%.

That there has been some progress in moving material is evident from China’s reported PE import statistics. Volumes from Saudi Arabia rose through the third quarter; and imports from the UAE and Iran in September were largely unchanged from August, following a small increase from July.

International Trader Publications’ World Trade Analyses on all grades of polyethylene, continuously updated analyses based on latest statistics from all reporting countries.