Tag Archives: World Trade Analyses

New 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.

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The 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.

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Latin 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.

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Brazil’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.

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The 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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Africa’s ABS, SAN, Polyacetal, Polycarbonate, PMMA and PET Trade in 2024: Key Trends and Regional Shifts

Africa’s only sizable exports of engineering polymers are PET.

The region’s imports of PET are much larger. The region also imports small volumes of ABS, SAN, Polyacetal, PC, and PMMA.

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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.

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Western Europe’s ABS, SAN, Polyacetal, Polycarbonate, PMMA, and PET Trade in 2024: Key Trends and Regional Shifts

Western Europe exported roughly 25% more ABS, SAN, Polyacetal, and PET polymer in 2024 than in 2023. Exports of PC and PMMA grew 5%.

Imports of PET film/fiber grade jumped 24%; polycarbonates, 12%. Import trends for other polymers were mixed.

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Saudi Arabia and UAE Exports of Polypropylene in 2024 Hit by China’s Aggressive PP Export Expansion Globally

Saudi Arabia exported 4.4 million tons of polypropylene (all grades, partly estimated) in 2024, down 14%. The UAE shipped 1.7 million tons, down 7%. (UAE does not publish statistics; data is visible from trading partners). Shipments to Asia-Pacific were the most impacted.

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Saudi Arabia and UAE Expand Polyethylene Exports in 2024 Despite Trade Challenges

Saudi Arabia exported 10.6 million tons of polyethylene (all grades, partly estimated) in 2024, up 2% from 2023. The UAE shipped 3.8 million tons, up 11%. (UAE does not publish statistics; data is visible from trading partners). Key to the expansions were regional shifts.

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