Ethylene global trade in 2017 was 7.9 million tons up 10% from 2016.
Trends in Butadiene Global Trade in 2017
Butadiene global trade in 2017 was 2.7 million tons, up 7% from 2016.
Trends in Butylene Global Trade in 2017
Butylene global trade in 2017 was just over 1 million tons, a 2% increase from 2016.
US Exports of Recycle Polymers Were Down 14% in 2017; Imports into the US Rose 2%.
The US exported a total of 1.7 million tons of recycle polymers in 2017. Imports into the US of recycle polymers were 429,000 tons, up 2%. Continue reading
US Imported Record Volumes of Fabricated Plastic Products in 2017
Imports of fabricated plastic products that can be specifically identified by polymer were 3.5 million tons in 2017, up 17%. (Much larger volumes of fabricated products are imported as mixtures of polymers.) Imports were at record high levels for most of the year, including through the fourth quarter.
US Exports of Ethylene Polymers were down 2% in 2017
Shipments totaled 5.3 million tons for the year, with volumes at record high levels early in the year, a slowdown from May through November, then a surge in December.
Ethylene Polymer Imports into China up 18% in 2017, to 13.5 Million Tons
Imports were at record levels for most of the second half of 2017.
China’s Imports of Recycle PET Down 14% in 2017
Monthly import volume fell to 64,000 tons in December, the price steady throughout the fourth quarter around $490/ton.
China’s Imports of Recycle Polyethylene from Europe, North America and Asia Each Down 20-30%
China imported 1.9 million tons of recycle polyethylene from all sources in 2017, down 23%. Imports trended lower for most of the year with further declines expected in 2018 as restrictions come into full force. Continue reading
LNG Exports Out of the US Hit New High in November
The United States exported 1.8 million tons of LNG in November 2017, setting another record. The average price picked up slightly from the prior month, to $214/ton.