Although Eurostat statistics for polymers and other products are published three months after the trade month, an earlier view of import demand and the impact of shipping disruptions in the Red Sea can be obtained from trading partner export statistics.
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China’s Exports of All the Commodity Polymers Set New Records in March 2024
The simultaneous jump to new highs in March of China’s exports of polyethylene, polypropylene, styrenic polymers, PVC and PET was unprecedented. A rebound in polymer shipments after the holiday in February was expected and evident historically but new polymer capacity was also indicated, particularly in polypropylene.
Continue readingTrends in Polyolefin Polymer Trade in Western Europe in 2023
Polyolefin polymer demand in Western Europe in 2023 is measurable in part from the region’s intra-regional trade, its imports from other regions, and its exports to other regions. Lower intra-regional trade and lower imports indicate a drop in demand from one year to the next. These were evident in 2023 versus 2022 for LDPE, linear PE, HDPE, and PP homopolymer. Lower polymer demand in a region is also usually associated with an increase in a region’s exports, if conditions make this possible. Western Europe’s exports of HDPE did increase in 2023, but shipments of other polymers were constrained by low demand in other regions and surging exports from North America.
Continue readingTrends in Recyclable Polyethylene in 2023
Global trade volume in recyclable polyethylene polymer in 2023 dropped 2% from 2022, to 3.0 million tons, indicating weaker global demand. Key trends included lower intra-regional trade in Western Europe and Asia-Pacific, lower imports into Western Europe and a surge in imports into Asia-Pacific on material sourced mainly from Western Europe and North America. Average prices steadied in the second half of 2023 at low levels.
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.
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