Tag Archives: Polyethylene

China’s Commodity Polymer Trade February 2023 YTD

China’s imports through February 2023 of polyethylene, China’s largest commodity polymer import, showed no change versus February 2022 YTD. Imports of polypropylene posted a moderate increase. On the export side, however, China shipped substantially more of each major commodity polymer than in the same period in 2022.

Continue reading

Trends in China’s Trade in Commodity Polymers in 2022

For the second year in a row, imports of commodity polymers into China were down and exports of most commodity polymers were up, the result of weak demand due to Covid lockdowns. The year ended with commodity polymer imports totaling 25 million tons, down 9% from 2021. This followed a 19% drop in 2021 versus 2020. Commodity polymer exports were 10.8 million tons in 2022, up 22%. This followed a 74% jump in 2021 versus 2020.

Continue reading

ITP Projects China’s Imports of Polyolefins Down Substantially in 2022; Smaller Volume Exports are Projected Up, Especially for Polyethylene.

Weak demand in China as a result of stringent Covid restrictions was reflected in lower imports of polyolefins into China, and higher exports out of China, in each of the last two years.

Continue reading

China’s Imports of Polyethylene Picked up in August, 2022; Reduced Volumes YTD Changed Trade Flows Globally

After several slow months China’s imports of ethylene polymers in August 2022 were up by 140,000 tons from July. The 12% fall off in imports YTD, to 10.5 million tons, led to increased exports by Asia-Pacific exporters to Western and Eastern Europe and Africa.

Continue reading

China Commodity Polymer Trade April 2022 Reflected Continued Weak Economic Activity From Covid Lockdowns

Polymer imports in April were almost as low as during Chinese New Year; exports of PVC hit a new high and shipments of PET also remained high; exports of fabricated plastic products continued slow.

Continue reading

Russia’s Exports of Polyolefins to Western and Eastern Europe

Russia exports more than twice as much ethylene and propylene polymers to other Eastern European countries than it does to Western Europe. Turkey and Poland are the top two destinations in Eastern Europe. Flows to Poland, other EU countries within Eastern Europe, and the Ukraine are most likely to be affected by the war in Ukraine.

Continue reading