ITP projects polypropylene homopolymer trade volume for 2018 of 20 million tons, up 1% from 2017. This compares with an increase of 5% in 2017 versus 2016. The trend in global trade volume generally indicates the trend in world demand.

In Western Europe, imports from other regions are projected to decline by 1%, to 1.3 million tons. The region’s intra-regional trade is projected to expand by 1%, to 3.8 million tons, and exports to rise by 3%, to 1.4 million tons. In 2017, imports rose by 6% from 2016, and both intra-regional trade and exports by 4%.

Latin America’s imports are projected to show the highest percentage increase of all the regions, up 16%, to 1 million tons. A decline in imports from North America is forecast to be more than offset by higher volumes from Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, the volume from each of which more than doubles.

Trends projected for Asia-Pacific: an 8% drop in imports, to 3.2 million tons, a 26% rise in exports, to 1.1 million tons, and, a 4% expansion in trade within the region, to 4.6 million tons.

From International Trader Publications’ Polypropylene World Trade Report.