Despite tariff frictions, weak global demand, and the Chinese New Year holiday in the second half of February, exports of polyethylene, polypropylene, styrenics, PVC, and PET were up versus the prior year.
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China’s Imports of Commodity Polymers Continued Low in October 2025; Exports Stabilized Near Record Levels
China imported 18.3 million tons of all grades of PE, PP, PS, PVC, and PET through October 2025, down 8% on declines across all the polymers. Exports were 15.8 million tons, up 27%, with shipments of all polymers showing strong gains. Trade for the month was likely negatively impacted by the one week holiday celebrating China’s National Day, October 1-8.
Continue readingLatin America’s PE, PP, PS and PVC Trade in 2024: Key Trends, Challenges, and Regional Shifts
Latin America’s trade in commodity polymers in 2024 was characterized by sizable exports of HDPE, polypropylene homopolymer (PP), and uncompounded PVC (PVCU). Latin America was a growth import market for each of the commodity polymers, noting especially both large volumes and large percentage increases on linear/ethylene-alpha-olefin-copolymers (LL/EAOC), HDPE, PP, and PVCU.
Continue readingNorth America’s PE, PP, PS and PVC Trade in 2024: Trends, Challenges, and Regional Shifts
North America’s trade in commodity polymers in 2024 was characterized by large volume exports of polyethylene, polypropylene, and PVC, most of which were up from the prior year. Imports were relatively small; several polyolefins showing large percentage gains.
Continue readingAfrica’s PE, PP, PS and PVC Trade in 2024: Key Trends, Challenges, and Regional Shifts
Africa’s trade in commodity polymers in 2024 was characterized by relatively small volume exports of HDPE, polypropylene, and PVC. Imports of each of these polymers were substantial and posted gains versus the prior year.
Continue readingTrends in China’s Trade in Commodity Polymers in 2023
China’s imports of commodity polymers as a total of all grades of PE, PP, styrenics, PVC and PET, declined for the third year in a row, a loss of nearly 10 million tons of volume over the 2020-2023 period. Exports of the combined total climbed for the third year in a row, increasing by nearly 7 million tons. Shipments of manufactured products identifiable as plastic showed a small gain of 0.7 million tons in 2023, rising to 16.7 million tons.
Continue readingTrends in Global Trade in Polypropylene and Propylene Copolymers in 2023
The volume traded globally of both polymers fell for the second year in a row, primarily on trends in Western Europe and Asia-Pacific.
Continue readingChina’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 readingMajor Expansion in US Exports of Polyethylene in 2022
The US exported 11. 4 million tons of ethylene polymers in 2022, up 24% from the prior year. Shipments increased to every world region and nearly every country.
Continue readingChina 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.
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