The rebound followed two years – 2022 and 2023 – of either declining or flat global trade volume for all of these polymers except bottle grade PET. This polymer posted a gain of 17% in 2022, a 5% decline in 2023, and another strong gain, up 15%, in 2024.

The ITP Global Trade Indicator quantifies global trade volume (below) and is developed from trade statistics from all reporting countries. It captures nearly all of the world’s trade volume, with non-reporting countries also visible from reporting trading partners.

These engineering polymers often compete in similar industries, among them automotive, industrial, medical, and consumer goods.

Trade flows in 2024 varied by region and will be explored in future blogs covering Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Africa, North America, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.

From International Trader Publications’ World Trade Analyses for ABS, SAN, Polyacetals, Polycarbonates, PMMA, PET – Bottle Grade, and PET – Film/Fiber Grade.