Global trade in ABS expanded by 1% in 2013, to 4.1 million tons. This gain, although small, came after contractions of 7% in 2012 and 11% in 2011. Trends in global trade volume for widely traded products are an indicator of global demand.

Asia-Pacific’s intra-regional trade and exports were key factors in the higher global volume. Intra-regional trade was unchanged in 2013, after declining 10% in 2012 mainly because of lower imports into China. The region’s exports abroad were up by 7% in 2013, a small decline in shipments to Western Europe more than offset by gains of 12% – 14% to Latin America and Eastern Europe, the region’s top volume and growth export destinations, and also gains to Africa and North America.

(From ITP’s ABS World Trade Review of 2013)