During the worst month of the pandemic, the United States sharply increased imports of film and sheet made from polyethylene, polypropylene and PET, volumes of each in April at or near record levels. These polymers, among others, are used for personal protective equipment.
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China’s Imports of Polymers, and, Exports of Fabricated Plastic Products Showed Relatively Small Declines in Q1 of 2020. Exports of PE and PP set new records in March.
Imports of commodity polymers totaled 6.8 million tons in the first quarter, down 5% from the same period, pre-Covid-19, in 2019. Exports of a basket of fabricated plastic products were down 3%, to 2.6 million tons.
Continue readingUS-China Trade War Update
The March 1 deadline for an increase from 10% to 25% in tariffs by the US on $200 Billion of imports from China has been postponed, but tariffs on many polymers and chemicals put in place earlier by both countries remain.
Continue readingOverview of Singapore’s Commodity Polymer Trade July 2018 YTD
Singapore imported 1.7 million tons of commodity polymers through July 2018, up 11%, and exported 4.2 million tons, up 6%.
Overview of Korea’s Commodity Polymer Trade July 2018 YTD
Korea’s exports of commodity polymers expanded moderately in the first seven months of 2018, as did shipments of fabricated plastic products. Imports rose sharply. Korea exported less recycle polymers but imported more.
US Imported Record Volumes of Fabricated Plastic Products in 2017
Imports of fabricated plastic products that can be specifically identified by polymer were 3.5 million tons in 2017, up 17%. (Much larger volumes of fabricated products are imported as mixtures of polymers.) Imports were at record high levels for most of the year, including through the fourth quarter.