In 2016, Western Europe imported almost 4 million tons of ethylene polymers from sources outside the region. Imports increased by 14% from the prior year.

The Middle East was Western Europe’s largest supplier of ethylene polymers, providing 1.9 million tons. Imports from Eastern Europe were 690,000 tons; from Asia-Pacific, 560,000 tons; from North America, 435,000 tons.

As  North America’s new plants come on stream competition for the Western European market will increase and is most likely to affect the region’s imports from Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

From International Trader Publications’: World Trade Reports on LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE and Ethylene Copolymers.