An increase by over 70% in imports from the US in 2018 resulted in lower imports into Western Europe from the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

Polyethylene imports into Western Europe (all grades) are projected, based on currently available data, to total 4.3 million tons in 2018, up 1% from 2017.

With imports from North America (virtually all US) up over 70%, to 625,000 tons, less polymer was imported from the Middle East, 1.8 million tons, down 8%, Asia-Pacific, 480,000 tons, down 14%, and Latin America, 270,000 tons, down 19%.

The Middle East more than compensated for the decline to the Western European market by shipping more polymer to Asia-Pacific and Africa.

Although there were large percentage increases on shipments to Western Europe and Eastern Europe, most of North America’s exports were directed to Latin America, 3.3 million tons, up 21%, followed by Asia-Pacific, 2.1 million tons, up 45%.

From International Trader Publications’ All Polymers of Ethylene World Trade Report an on line Report updated daily and capturing nearly all of the world’s trade in ethylene polymers.