ITP projects MEG trade volume for 2018 of 15.1 million tons, up 1% from 2017. This compares with an increase of 10% from 2016 to 2017. The trend in global trade volume generally indicates the trend in world demand.

Although latest available statistics indicate increased imports into  Belgium, Spain, Turkey, Lithuania, US and Vietnam, among others, these are offset by lower volumes into Netherlands, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, and, with the largest decline, India.

Detailed official statistics are not available for China, but China Customs has published aggregated data which shows imports of 7.5 million tons through September, down 2%. Trading partner statistics show lower MEG exports to China from Taiwan and Canada but higher volumes from Korea, and, especially, Singapore. Export statistics from China’s top supplier, Saudi Arabia, appear to be partly suppressed.

From International Trader Publications’: MEG World Trade Report