While US sanctions currently target specific companies that facilitate exports of Iranian oil, Washington is weighing a broader move: sanctions on countries that import Iranian petrochemicals. This potential escalation could impact ethylene glycol, methanol, polyethylene and liquefied butane and propane gases, among others, with wide-ranging implications for global trade flows. Iranian export statistics show China as the largest destination for these products. Volumes do not, however, correlate with China’s import statistics.
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Eastern Europe’s ABS, SAN, Polyacetal, Polycarbonate, PMMA and PET Trade in 2024: Key Trends and Regional Shifts
Eastern Europe shipped substantially higher volumes of PET in 2024, mainly on trade with Western Europe. Smaller volume exports of ABS also were up, Asia-Pacific trade accounting for the growth. Exports of SAN, Polyacetal, PC and PMMA contracted.
The region was the world’s largest importing region for ABS and SAN, and the second largest for PC and PMMA. Imports of all of the engineering polymers were up in 2024.
Continue readingGlobal Trade in Recyclable Polyethylene Slowed in 2023 and 2024
Global trade in recyclable PE contracted slightly in 2024, to 2.9 million tons, off 1% from 2023. This followed a 3% decline in 2023 versus 2022. Turkey was the world’s largest importer of recyclable PE; imports picked up in 2024 as the average price fell.
Continue readingLNG Trade Between the US and China: Tariffs, US Export Markets, China’s Import Sources
As of February 4th, 2025, the US imposed a 10% tariff on all imports from China. Part of China’s response was to levy a 15% tariff on LNG imports from the US, to go into effect February 10th. In 2024, China reported 4.3 million tons of LNG imports from US; the US reported 6.0 million tons of exports to China, a difference of 1.7 million tons.
Continue readingUS Dockworkers Strike Would have Impacted Large Volumes of PE and PVC Polymer Exports
The strike begun at midnight, September 30th, by the International Longshoreman’s Association, and ended a few days later, had the potential to disrupt US polymer exports, particularly of polyethylene and PVC, particularly large volumes of which are shipped out of Houston-Galveston, Texas.
Continue readingPetrochemical Trade – Turkey Aims to Accelerate Free Trade Negotiations with the GCC, Potentially Impacting 1.8 Million Tons of Polyolefin Imports – International Trader Publications
Turkey imported 668,000 tons of polyethylene and 1.1 million tons of polypropylene from the GCC in 2023. The duty rate was 6.5% on virtually all grades.
Continue readingAcrylonitrile Global Trade Trends
For most of the last ten years the volume of acrylonitrile (ACN) traded globally has trended downward. The exception was the period 2018 to 2021 when trade volume initially increased, then steadied, paralleling the trend in global trade in ABS polymer, its largest end use. There have been major shifts in ACN trade between regions over the period.
Continue readingPET and PTA Trends in Global Trade in 2023
The volume of global trade in both products is projected to be lower in 2023 than in 2022, with profound shifts in flows between regions.
Continue readingTrends in Propylene Copolymers Global Trade
Global trade in propylene copolymers was 10 million tons in 2022, down 3% from the prior year. ITP projects another decline of 3% in 2023, to 9.7 million tons.
Continue readingTrends in High Density Polyethylene Global Trade
Global trade in high density polyethylene in 2022 was 25.1 million tons. HDPE accounted for 37% of the 68 million tons of polyethylene traded globally that year.
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