As it did in 2009 during the financial crisis, China buttressed the global petrochemical industry with record imports of LLDPE and HDPE during the 2020 pandemic. Volume was heavy from May through October 2020. Much higher imports from North America (US), Eastern Europe (Russia) and other Asia-Pacific, and a drop in imports of LLDPE from the Middle East, were prominent supply changes.
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Sharp Rise in Polycarbonate Film and Sheet Global Trade Projected for 2020, up 22%
Many countries reported record high imports of PC film and sheet from the second quarter of the year, on strong demand for personal protection equipment.
Continue readingProminent Trends in Western Europe’s Polyethylene Trade Through April 2020 Point to Slower Demand
A slowdown in intra-regional trade and generally lower imports from other regions, with one key exception, were prominent trends in Western Europe’s PE trade, based on the most current data available.
Continue readingUS Shipments of LNG in April 2020 Were Off 14% from March. China Topped the List of Export Destinations.
The US exported 4.4 million tons of liquefied natural gas in April, 2020, still a very high volume but down from 5.1 million tons in March.
Continue readingMajor Decline in US Exports of PVC in April 2020, as Covid -19 Impacts Demand
Used heavily in construction, which was severely curtailed by the pandemic, PVC exports from the US fell by nearly 90,000 tons from March to April.
Continue readingUS Exports of Some, But Not All, Ethylene Polymers Slow in April 2020
After trending higher since December and reaching record levels in March, the total volume of US exports across all the ethylene polymers was down in April. Shipments for the month were down 10% from March, but the magnitude of the decline varied greatly by specific polymer and also by region.
Continue readingEarliest Trends In Brazil’s Polyethylene Trade as of March 2020
Brazil is one of the earliest reporting countries and polyethylene is one of its biggest imports as well as a sizable export.
Continue readingUS Exports of LNG Continued To New Highs in January 2020, Volume Doubling From the Prior January
The US exported 5.4 million tons of LNG in January 2020, up 99% from January 2019 on much higher volumes to traditional markets, plus shipments to new markets.
Continue readingUnited States Exports of PE Trended Higher in January 2020
After slowing in November, 2019, US exports of ethylene polymers climbed in both December and January 2020. Little impact on volumes and prices from the corona virus is expected in US export statistics for February, with March and following months affected more severely.
Continue readingLNG Imports into Western Europe Projected Up 75% in 2019 from 2018
Western Europe will import 63 million tons of LNG by year end 2019, based on projections from latest available statistics. Volumes from Eastern Europe and North America are expected to quadruple; supplies from other regions to rise 22 – 36%.
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