Preliminary data for trade in 2011 shows: no change in polyacetals global trade volume from the prior year; small declines in polycarbonates and PET global volume; widely differing regional import and export trends.
Global trade volume in 2011, an indicator of global demand, was: 811 K tons of polyacetals, unchanged from 2010; 3.4 M tons of polycarbonates, down 4%; and, 7.7 M tons of PET, down 1%, based on preliminary data.
A few trends visible for each product are highlighted below.
- Polyacetals – Asia-Pacific polyacetals exports increased 19% in 2011, primarily on sharply higher shipments to Western and Eastern Europe. Exports from North America rose 4%, gains to Asia-Pacific and Western Europe offsetting a sizable decline to Latin America. Western Europe’s exports increased 7% on gains to Eastern Europe and Asia-Pacific.
- Polycarbonates – Exports from the major exporting regions, Western Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, each declined by 4%-7% in 2011. Smaller volume exports from the Middle East rose sharply, polymer shipped mainly to Asia-Pacific. Eastern Europe was a strong growth market, importing higher volumes from Western Europe and Asia-Pacific.
- PET – Exports from Asia-Pacific rose only 1% in 2011, as a large increase in shipments to Latin America, and small gains to Africa and North America, were nearly entirely offset by declines to Europe and the Middle East. Exports from Latin America jumped 25% on gains to North America and Western Europe. Shipments from Western Europe and Eastern Europe dropped 8% and 10%, respectively; exports from North America fell 26%.
[important]Final figures for 2011 will be published March 26th in ITP’s Polyacetals, Polycarbonates and PET World Trade Annual Reviews.[/important]
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