Higher exports of both polymer grades are projected from Western Europe and Asia-Pacific.
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UAE Polyethylene and Polypropylene Exports Are Projected to Decline in 2025, with Losses in Asia-Pacific Only Partly Offset by Gains in Eastern Europe, Africa, and Latin America; Historic Data Shows Major Re-Exports
UAE exports of polyethylene (all grades) are projected at 3.8 million tons yearend 2025, down 1%; polypropylene, 1.6 million tons, down 6% (based on import statistics from all available publishing countries, as the UAE does not publish timely statistics). The latest export data for UAE, for 2023 (from UN Comtrade), shows much lower exports out of UAE than is reported by trading partners as imports from UAE as the country of origin.
Continue readingIndia to Add New PVC Capacity to Reduce Reliance on Imports
Adani Group has announced plans to build a 1 million ton per year PVC plant in Mundra, Gujarat, scheduled on stream in 2028, to meet India’s growing demand for the polymer for agricultural, construction and industrial uses.
Continue readingTurkey Imports Record Volumes of Polyethylene in April and May, Partly Because of a US Pivot from China
New capacity, weak demand and tariff uncertainties resulted in a 6% drop, to 1.1 million tons, in China’s imports of polyethylene from the US. Some US polymer has been directed to Turkey.
Continue readingChina/Vietnam Trade in Several Major Polymers and Chemicals Unlikely to Include Significant Transshipments
A new trade agreement between the US and Vietnam lowers tariffs on goods imported into US from Vietnam as the country of origin but keeps tariffs high if the goods are transshipped from China. Trade between China and Vietnam does not indicate significant transshipments for polyolefins and other products.
Continue readingNew US Sanctions on Russian Petrochemical Exports, if Passed, Would: Impact Trade in Polyolefins, Liquefied Gases, Rubber and Other Products; Affect Many Importing Countries; and Cripple Russia’s Economy
The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, introduced in both the US Senate and the House of Representatives in April 2025, is currently in committee. Its enactment is far from certain and depends on negotiations toward peace between Russia and Ukraine. Were it to pass, the impact on Russia would be crippling because of the country’s reliance on exports of energy and related products.
Continue readingThe Middle East’s ABS, SAN, Polyacetal, Polycarbonate, PMMA, and PET Trade in 2024: Key Trends and Regional Shifts
The Middle East’s largest volume engineering polymer exports were polycarbonates, PET, and ABS. The largest imports were PET and polycarbonates.
Continue readingLatin America’s ABS, SAN, Polyacetal, Polycarbonate, PMMA, and PET Trade in 2024: Key Trends and Regional Shifts
PET was Latin America’s largest volume engineering polymer export in 2024. Latin America was a growth market for all of the polymers, with imports up from the prior year and the highest percentage gains for ABS, SAN, and PET.
Continue readingBrazil’s Commodity Polymer Imports May be Peaking
Brazil’s commodity polymer imports have surged 86% over the past three years—from 648,000 tons in April 2022 YTD to 1.2 million tons through April 2025—with polyethylene and polypropylene accounting for the bulk of the volume. That trend may be reversing.
Continue readingThe US Eyes Tougher Sanctions on Countries Importing Iranian Petrochemicals
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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