The US imported 577,000 tons of propylene polymers through October, 2018, up 39% from the same period in 2017. US exports of these polymers were down 13% through October, to 1.5 million tons.
Tag Archives: Brazil
Little Change in MEG Global Trade Volume Projected for 2018
ITP projects MEG trade volume for 2018 of 15.1 million tons, up 1% from 2017. This compares with an increase of 10% from 2016 to 2017. The trend in global trade volume generally indicates the trend in world demand.
US Exports of Propylene Polymers Drop; Imports Rise
US exports of polypropylene, propylene copolymers and polyisobutylene were down 14% through July 2018, to 1.1 million tons, while imports jumped 36%, to 370,000 tons.
Overview of Brazil’s Commodity Polymer Trade July 2018 YTD
Brazil’s exports of commodity polymers trended downward through most of the first seven months of 2018. Imports were moderately higher; imports of fabricated plastic products rose strongly.
Trends in Butadiene Global Trade in 2017
Butadiene global trade in 2017 was 2.7 million tons, up 7% from 2016.
Ethylene Imports into China Back to Record Levels
China’s imports of ethylene jumped back up to nearly 200,000 tons in June 2017, at an average price of $1077/ton, after two months around 160,000 tons per month. Volume in the first half of the year was up 48% from the same period in 2016.
Trends in Brazil’s Polyolefins Trade
Brazil’s imports of ethylene polymers were up 13% through June, 2017 and imports of propylene polymers increased 5%. Brazil’s exports of these polymers were off slightly YTD.
Global Trends in Butadiene Monomer Trade in 2016
The volume of butadiene traded as imports and exports in 2016 was over 2.5 million tons, up 10% from 2015. Higher imports into Asia-Pacific and North America featured prominently in the increase in global volume.
Brazil’s Exports of Commodity Polymers Jumped 28% in 2016; Imports Slowed
Brazil exported nearly 2 million tons of polyolefins, styrenic polymers, vinyl polymers and PET in 2016, up 28% from 2015.
Recent Changes in US Polyethylene Trade Flows
With construction continuing on massive new polyethylene capacity, US imports trended up to a new record high in the second half of the year, as US exports plummeted.