US statistics through November show imports across all commodity polymers up 17% from the same period the year before, exports down 15%, and fabricated plastic product imports up 23%.

The United States imported record volumes of commodity polymers – PE, PP, PS, PVC, PET – through most of 2021. Volume totaled 6.4 million tons November 2021 YTD, up 17% from the first 11 months of 2020.

US imports of ethylene polymers were 3.3 million tons of the total, up 4%. The highest growth was on imports of propylene polymers, 0.8 million tons, up 84%, and PET, 1.3 million tons, up 37%. Imports of styrenic polymers, 0.6 million tons, and PVC, 0.4 million tons, were each up 13%.

US commodity polymer exports totaled 13.1 million tons through November, down 15%, volume depressed for most of the year.

Shipments of ethylene polymers, 8.5 million tons, were down 16% through November; propylene polymers, 1.7 million tons, down 12%; PVC, 2.1 million tons, down 19%.

During most of 2021 the US imported record volumes of fabricated plastic products that are identifiable by specific polymer type. Volume November YTD was 5.3 million tons, up 23%, the largest components of the total including film/sheet made from PE, PP, and PET, PE sacks/bags and PVC floor/wall coverings.

From International Trader Publications’ United States Polymer Trade Report, a monthly analysis of US polymer trade in all grades of commodity polymers and also in key fabricated plastic products and recyclable polymers.