The US shipped 406,000 tons of recycle polymers through July, 2019, down 46% from the same period in the prior year. China’s total ban on imports of recycle polymers as of 2018 was a key factor in the decline. Further declines in US exports are expected as India has announced it will also ban all recycle polymer imports.
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The Trade War and Polyolefin Film/Sheet; PE Bags/Sacks
US imports from China of PE and PP film/sheet are a relatively small factor in the global total. US imports of PE bags and sacks from China, however, are substantially larger. All of these products are involved in the US/China trade war.
Continue readingUS Imports of Propylene Polymers Climb as Exports Drop
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.
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.
US Exports of Ethylene Polymers were down 2% in 2017
Shipments totaled 5.3 million tons for the year, with volumes at record high levels early in the year, a slowdown from May through November, then a surge in December.
Rise in US Imports of R-PE and R-PET
As US exports of recycle polyethylene and PET dropped to record low levels in October, 2017, US imports jumped, mainly on higher volumes from Canada and Mexico.
Surge in US Exports of Polyethylene and Polypropylene
The new year started off strong for US exports of polyolefins, with heavy shipments in January 2017 of HDPE, LLDPE, LDPE, polypropylene homopolymer and propylene copolymers. Continue reading
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.
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.