US exports of polyethylene reached successive new highs from March through May, 2019, with relatively little impact evident from reduced shipments to China.
Continue readingUS Exports of Ethylene Glycol Trending Higher
The United States exported 255,000 tons of monoethylene glycol through April 2019, up 25% from the same period in the prior year. Lower volumes to top destination, Mexico, and a sharp drop in shipments to China, were more than offset by gains to Europe, Brazil and elsewhere.
Continue readingPetrochemical Exports from Iran
Iran exports large volumes of polyethylene, LNG, liquefied propane and butane gases, methanol and ethylene glycol. As of April, 2019 shipments of all of these products were down versus the same period in 2018, except ethylene glycol.
Continue readingChanges in China’s Imports of Polyethylene by Region
In April 2019, for the second month in a row, China’s imports of ethylene polymers hit a new record high. Year to date, reduced volumes from North America were offset by increased volumes from Asia-Pacific sources.
Continue readingSurge in US Exports of PE in March 2019; Declining Imports of Fabricated Plastic Products
The US exported 800,000 tons of ethylene polymers in March 2019, a new record. Imports of fabricated plastic products, many of which come from China, were impacted by the US-China trade war.
Continue readingChina’s PE Imports Reach a New High in March; Exports of Fabricated Plastic Products Dampened
China’s imports of ethylene polymers slowed only slightly for the New Year holiday in February and then shot to a new record in March 2019. Exports of fabricated plastic products, however, fell sharply in February, with only a partial rebound in March.
Continue readingUpdate on the US – China Trade War
Late on Friday, May 3, a diplomatic cable from China to Washington edited out core provisions from the 150-page draft agreement that had been the result of months of negotiations between the two countries. Instead of a signing ceremony possibly by the end of May, the US will now raise duties from 10% to 25% on $200 B of imports from China at 12:01 AM on May 10th and may apply duties to an additional $325 B that have not yet been hit with duties – essentially impacting everything the US imports from China.
Continue readingTrends in Eastern Europe’s Trade in Expandable Polystyrene in 2018
Continued growth in expandable polystyrene demand in Eastern Europe was evident from both the region’s higher intra-regional trade and also higher imports over the last three years from 2015 through 2018. For the first time over that period, in 2018 Eastern Europe’s imports from Western Europe slipped.
Continue readingChina’s Commodity Polymer Imports up 20% through February 2019, despite the Chinese New Year Slowdown
China imported 4.6 million tons of commodity polymers – PE, PP, PS, PVC and PET – through February 2019, up 20% from the same period in 2018.
Continue readingChina’s LNG Imports up 19% Through February 2019
Despite a steep drop in imports in February 2019 due to the Chinese New Year holiday, as well as slowing winter demand, China’s imports year to date, 10.9 million tons, were up 19% from the same two-month period in 2018.
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