The volume of PE bags and sacks (plus cones) traded globally in 2015 was 3.7 million tons.  Trade volume in 2016 is projected to be up about 4%, to just over 3.8 million tons. Western European countries and the United States are major import markets; China is the world’s top exporter, although shipments from other countries are rising. 

Western Europe imported 765,000 tons of PE bags/sacks/cones in 2015, 60% of which was from Asia-Pacific suppliers, most of the remainder from Eastern Europe. A 3% increase in imports is projected for Western Europe for 2016.

The United States is the world’s largest single import market, importing nearly 700,000 tons in 2015.  About half was from China; other sizable sources included Thailand, Canada, Malaysia, Taiwan, India and Mexico. A 3% rise in US imports is also projected for 2016.

China exported 1.2 million tons of this PE product group in 2015, with 2% higher volume projected for 2016. Although export volumes to date are substantially smaller, shipments from Iran, India, Thailand and Vietnam have been rising strongly.

From International Trader Publications’: Polyethylene Bags/Sacks/Cones World Trade Report