Despite tariff frictions, weak global demand, and the Chinese New Year holiday in the second half of February, exports of polyethylene, polypropylene, styrenics, PVC and PET each were up versus the prior year.
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China Increasingly Dominates PET Trade – China’s Exports Accounted for 45% of the Total Volume of PET Traded Globally in 2025, Up From 23% in 2020
Massive capacity expansion in China has led to growing exports to Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.
Continue readingChina’s Polymer Trade in April 2025: Record Exports, Low Imports, Huge Challenges Ahead
Following the traditional Chinese New Year slowdown in February, China’s exports of all the commodity polymers – PE, PP, PVC, Styrenics, and PET – rebounded to record levels in March and continued strong in April. Exports of fabricated products also were high. Imports were flat. Major headwinds are expected to impact exports in the coming months.
Continue readingChina Exported Record Volumes of PE, PP, PS, PVC, and PET in March 2025. Shipments of Fabricated Plastic Products Also Surged. Imports Remained Low.
China’s exports of commodity polymers have surged each March in 2021 – 2025 following the Chinese New Year slowdown in February. March of 2025 was the highest volume ever recorded, new capacity and an uncertain trade environment adding to the strong growth trend from 2024.
Continue readingChina’s Trade in Commodity Polymers Has Shifted by 20 Million Tons from 2020 to 2024 – Imports Have Dropped by 10 million tons, Exports Have Risen by 10 Million Tons
The changes in China’s trade in polyethylene, polypropylene, styrenic polymers, PVC and PET have profoundly impacted trade flows for both exporting and importing countries.
Continue readingTrends in China’s Polyolefin Polymer Trade Through February 2924
Polyethylene polymer import and export volumes were higher versus February YTD 2023, but at depressed prices. Imports of polypropylene were down sharply; low-priced export volumes climbed.
Continue readingChina’s Commodity Polymer Trade February 2023 YTD
China’s imports through February 2023 of polyethylene, China’s largest commodity polymer import, showed no change versus February 2022 YTD. Imports of polypropylene posted a moderate increase. On the export side, however, China shipped substantially more of each major commodity polymer than in the same period in 2022.
Continue readingTrends in China’s Trade in Commodity Polymers in 2022
For the second year in a row, imports of commodity polymers into China were down and exports of most commodity polymers were up, the result of weak demand due to Covid lockdowns. The year ended with commodity polymer imports totaling 25 million tons, down 9% from 2021. This followed a 19% drop in 2021 versus 2020. Commodity polymer exports were 10.8 million tons in 2022, up 22%. This followed a 74% jump in 2021 versus 2020.
Continue readingITP Projects China’s Imports of Polyolefins Down Substantially in 2022; Smaller Volume Exports are Projected Up, Especially for Polyethylene.
Weak demand in China as a result of stringent Covid restrictions was reflected in lower imports of polyolefins into China, and higher exports out of China, in each of the last two years.
Continue readingChina’s Imports of Polyethylene Picked up in August, 2022; Reduced Volumes YTD Changed Trade Flows Globally
After several slow months China’s imports of ethylene polymers in August 2022 were up by 140,000 tons from July. The 12% fall off in imports YTD, to 10.5 million tons, led to increased exports by Asia-Pacific exporters to Western and Eastern Europe and Africa.
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