Africa’s only sizable exports of engineering polymers are PET.
The region’s imports of PET are much larger. The region also imports small volumes of ABS, SAN, Polyacetal, PC and PMMA.
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Middle East’s PE, PP, PS and PVC Trade in 2024: Key Trends, Challenges, and Regional Shifts
It was a challenging year for the world’s largest volume exporter of most grades of polyethylene and polypropylene. Weak demand in Asia-Pacific and competition from North America and Asia-Pacific resulted in a drop in Middle East exports of LPDE, EVA, polypropylene homopolymer, and propylene copolymers versus the prior year, and shifts in regional destinations.
Continue readingBrazil was a Commodity Polymer Import Powerhouse in 2024
Imports of nearly all grades of polyethylene, polypropylene, styrenic polymers, PVC and PET were up sharply versus 2023, many grades setting new records. Brazil’s imports of fabricated plastic products also surged to new highs.
Continue readingLNG Trade Between the US and China: Tariffs, US Export Markets, China’s Import Sources
As of February 4th, 2025, the US imposed a 10% tariff on all imports from China. Part of China’s response was to levy a 15% tariff on LNG imports from the US, to go into effect February 10th. In 2024, China reported 4.3 million tons of LNG imports from US; the US reported 6.0 million tons of exports to China, a difference of 1.7 million tons.
Continue readingEastern Europe’s PE, PP, PS and PVC Trade in 2024: Key Trends, Challenges, and Regional Shifts
Eastern Europe’s trade in commodity polymers in 2024 was characterized by sizable exports of HDPE and polypropylene homopolymer (PP). Eastern Europe was the largest volume commodity polymer importer of any region with the exception of Asia-Pacific, and, for HDPE with a small increment, also Latin America.
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 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 readingUS Imports of Bottle-Grade PET Soar
Imports in January 2021 were double what they were in the prior January. Volume trended higher for most of 2020, reaching several new record highs.
Continue readingTurkey’s Imports of Caustic Soda up 66% in 2019, and Continuing to Rise
Turkey imported 563,000 tons of caustic soda in aqueous solution in 2019, up 66% from 2019. With imports through March 2020 totaling 148,000 tons, the upward trend looks to continue.
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