Brazil’s imports of polyethylene were at record high levels for most of 2024. Trade through September 2025 slowed versus the prior year, but the impact of a recent anti-dumping ruling against polymer imports from the US and Canada is expected to be realized in the fourth quarter.
Continue readingTag Archives: Polyethylene
Trends in Oman’s Exports of Polyolefins
Startup of the Liwa Plastics Industry Complex in Sohar in 2020/2021 boosted Oman’s production capacity for polyethylene by 880,000 tons per year, and polypropylene by 300,000 tons per year. This led to a surge in exports, although lower global demand and increased competition, among other factors, impacted shipments in 2024 and are projected to also affect 2025.
Continue readingUAE Polyethylene and Polypropylene Exports Are Projected to Decline in 2025, with Losses in Asia-Pacific Only Partly Offset by Gains in Eastern Europe, Africa, and Latin America; Historic Data Shows Major Re-Exports
UAE exports of polyethylene (all grades) are projected at 3.8 million tons yearend 2025, down 1%; polypropylene, 1.6 million tons, down 6% (based on import statistics from all available publishing countries, as the UAE does not publish timely statistics). The latest export data for UAE, for 2023 (from UN Comtrade), shows much lower exports out of UAE than is reported by trading partners as imports from UAE as the country of origin.
Continue readingUS Polyethylene Exports Shift to Other Regions, Offsetting Lower Volumes to Asia-Pacific
The US exported 9.1 million tons of polyethylene (all grades combined) through July 2025, up 5% from the same period in 2024. Trade with Asia-Pacific slowed, but there were strong gains to Eastern Europe and Africa and moderate increases to Western Europe and Latin America. Average prices remained depressed.
Continue readingMassive Surge in China’s Exports of Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Styrenics, PVC, and PET Through July 2025, at Record Low Prices
Overcapacity, weak domestic demand, and the attraction of very low prices in an uncertain global economic environment were evident in the 29% jump in China’s commodity polymer exports July 2025 YTD, to 11.1 million tons, on gains to every region except North America. Average prices sank to their lowest levels in over five years, most polymers losing roughly $1000/ton from highs in 2021/2022, PET an exception, losing $400.
Continue readingTurkey Imports Record Volumes of Polyethylene in April and May, Partly Because of a US Pivot from China
New capacity, weak demand and tariff uncertainties resulted in a 6% drop, to 1.1 million tons, in China’s imports of polyethylene from the US. Some US polymer has been directed to Turkey.
Continue readingChina/Vietnam Trade in Several Major Polymers and Chemicals Unlikely to Include Significant Transshipments
A new trade agreement between the US and Vietnam lowers tariffs on goods imported into US from Vietnam as the country of origin but keeps tariffs high if the goods are transshipped from China. Trade between China and Vietnam does not indicate significant transshipments for polyolefins and other products.
Continue readingUS Polyethylene Exports in May 2025 Continued Depressed on Lower China Trade
Chinese retaliatory tariffs on imports of polyethylene from the US resulted in a 24% drop in US shipments to China for the January – May 2025 period, to 822,000 tons. That decline was somewhat offset by higher volumes to other markets, resulting in a 4% increase in the US total, to 6.5 million tons YTD.
Continue readingNew US Sanctions on Russian Petrochemical Exports, if Passed, Would: Impact Trade in Polyolefins, Liquefied Gases, Rubber and Other Products; Affect Many Importing Countries; and Cripple Russia’s Economy
The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, introduced in both the US Senate and the House of Representatives in April 2025, is currently in committee. Its enactment is far from certain and depends on negotiations toward peace between Russia and Ukraine. Were it to pass, the impact on Russia would be crippling because of the country’s reliance on exports of energy and related products.
Continue readingThe US Exports Substantially More Ethane than Polyethylene to China, But Ethane Shipments May Now be Subject to Licensing Requirements
Ethane is a key feedstock for producing ethylene, which in turn is polymerized to make polyethylene — one of the world’s most widely-traded plastics.
The US exported 1.8 million tons of ethane to China through April 2025, up 23%. As part of the ongoing trade conflict the US Commerce Dept. has indicated that licenses may now be required to continue these exports.
Continue reading