Economic recovery was apparent in the stunning surge in China’s imports of virtually every major grade of commodity polymer in June. Import volume for the month, 3.6 million tons, was unprecedented and raised China’s YTD import total to 15.9 million tons, up 8% from the first half of 2019.
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New Capacity in North America Impacts Middle East Polyethylene Exports
North America exported higher volumes of polyethylene to every world region through May 2020, while Middle East exports to every region were down.
Continue readingThe United States is Back. New Record High on PE Exports in May 2020, Much Higher Shipments to China a Key Factor.
US exports of ethylene polymers rose to 1.0 million tons in May, 2020, an all-time high, after slowing to 885,000 tons in April. The average price across the major polymer groups fell to $921/ton.
Continue readingChina is Back. Imports of PE and PP Hit New Highs in May 2020.
After a slow beginning to the year as China battled the Corona virus, polyolefin imports picked up moderately in March and April then soared to new record highs in May. Prices continued their steep declines.
Continue readingProminent Trends in Western Europe’s Polyethylene Trade Through April 2020 Point to Slower Demand
A slowdown in intra-regional trade and generally lower imports from other regions, with one key exception, were prominent trends in Western Europe’s PE trade, based on the most current data available.
Continue readingUS Exports of Some, But Not All, Ethylene Polymers Slow in April 2020
After trending higher since December and reaching record levels in March, the total volume of US exports across all the ethylene polymers was down in April. Shipments for the month were down 10% from March, but the magnitude of the decline varied greatly by specific polymer and also by region.
Continue readingUS Exports of Ethylene Polymers Reach a New High in March 2020
The impact of the pandemic was not yet evident in US exports of ethylene polymers in the first quarter, which climbed each month to an all-time monthly high of 975,000 tons in March.
Continue readingChina’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 readingKorea Exported Record Volumes of PE in March 2020 and Imported High Volumes of Fabricated Plastic Products, Trade with China a Key Factor
Shipments to China accounted for most of the surge in Korea’s exports; China was the source of most of Korea’s imports of fabricated plastic products.
Continue readingUS Ethylene Polymer Exports, R-PE Trade, and Imports of PE Sacks and Bags as of February 2020
US exports of ethylene polymers continued strong through February 2020, volume near record levels. Shipments of recyclable polymer continued falling. Imports of PE sacks and bags from China dropped.
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