The simultaneous jump to new highs in March of China’s exports of polyethylene, polypropylene, styrenic polymers, PVC and PET was unprecedented. A rebound in polymer shipments after the holiday in February was expected and evident historically but new polymer capacity was also indicated, particularly in polypropylene.
Continue readingTag Archives: Africa
Trends in EVA Global Trade
Global trade in ethylene-vinyl-acetate copolymers increased by 76% from 2013 to 2023 (projected). On a regional level, over the last five years, there were strong gains on exports from Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and North America and on imports into Asia-Pacific, Africa and Eastern Europe. Western Europe’s trade in EVA declined.
Continue readingPET and PTA Trends in Global Trade in 2023
The volume of global trade in both products is projected to be lower in 2023 than in 2022, with profound shifts in flows between regions.
Continue readingTrends in Propylene Copolymers Global Trade
Global trade in propylene copolymers was 10 million tons in 2022, down 3% from the prior year. ITP projects another decline of 3% in 2023, to 9.7 million tons.
Continue readingTrends in LDPE/LLDPE Global Trade
Global trade in LDPE/LLDPE was 22.3 million tons in 2022. LDPE/LLDPE accounted for 33% of the 68 million tons of all grades of ethylene polymers traded globally that year.
Continue readingTrends in Polyethylene Global Trade
The volume of polyethylene traded globally expanded strongly from 2013 through 2019 but then slowed and, in 2021 and 2022, contracted.
Continue readingTrends in EDC and VCM Global Trade
Global trade volume for both EDC and VCM trended upward from 2018 through 2020 but then diverged, with profound changes in regional, and country, imports and exports over the period.
Continue readingCaustic Soda Global Trade 2018-2022: Steady Volume; Huge Increase in Asia-Pacific Exports.
The volume of caustic soda in aqueous solution traded globally has ranged narrowly between 20.2 and 21.4 million tons per year from 2018 to 2022. During that period Asia-Pacific exports to other regions increased 270%, particularly impacting exports out of North America and the Middle East.
Continue readingMajor Expansion in US Exports of Polyethylene in 2022
The US exported 11. 4 million tons of ethylene polymers in 2022, up 24% from the prior year. Shipments increased to every world region and nearly every country.
Continue readingTrends in Polypropylene Exports and Imports by Region from 2018 to 2022
Strong growth in exports of polypropylene out of the Middle East, and, in 2021 and 2022, also out of Asia-Pacific, were prominent trends in a comparison of regional exports from 2018 through 2022. Imports were mixed but generally increased into Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Africa and Latin America over the period.
Continue reading