Tag Archives: US

Trends in Ethylene-alpha-Olefins Copolymers Global Trade

Global trade in ethylene-alpha-olefins copolymers (EAOC) was 14.1 million tons in 2022. ITP projects a 7% increase in global trade in 2023, to 15.1 million tons.

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Trends in LDPE/LLDPE Global Trade

Global trade in LDPE/LLDPE was 22.3 million tons in 2022. LDPE/LLDPE accounted for 33% of the 68 million tons of all grades of ethylene polymers traded globally that year.

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China’s LNG Imports were Down 21% May 2022 YTD from May 2021 YTD. Imports from US and Other Sources Fell Sharply; Qatar, Russia and Trinidad-Tobago Supplied Higher Volumes

Weak economic activity over the last several months was evident from the drop by over 3 million tons, 21%, in China’s imports of LNG through May, to 26.6 million tons.

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Trends in United States Exports of Recyclable Polymers

The US exported 557,000 tons of recyclable polymers in 2021, one-third the volume of what was shipped in 2017. In addition to a sharp decline in volume over that period, the distribution of US exports changed. Latin America and Canada now account for a greater share of the total, although Asia-Pacific remains the largest volume destination. Further declines in US exports to Asia-Pacific are likely given the decision by CMA CGM, the US’s largest shipper of these materials, to end shipments as of June 1, 2022.

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Huge Increases in Brazil’s Imports of Polyethylene, Polypropylene and PVC Through June 2021

Brazil’s imports soared to record levels in the last half of 2020 and continued there through June of 2021. Exports during the period fell to record lows.

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Trends in US Exports of Recyclable Polymers

US exports of recyclable polymers fell from nearly 2 million tons in 2016 to 624,000 tons in 2020. The rate of decline slowed from 2018 through 2020 but new US government initiatives to cut greenhouse gases and reduce plastic waste may have an impact.

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