In 2016 the Asia-Pacific region imported over 12 million tons of ethylene polymers from sources outside the region. This was an increase of roughly 9% from 2015.

The Middle East supplied over 10 million tons of the region’s import total. Imports from Western Europe were over 500,000 tons; from North America, over 800,000 tons.

Imports into China alone accounted for 7.2 of the 12 million ton Asia-Pacific import total from outside sources. China imported 5.7 million tons of ethylene polymers from the Middle East, up 9%, 670,000 tons from North America, down 2%, 361,000 tons from Western Europe, down 5%, 232,000 tons from Eastern Europe, up 74%, and 205,000 tons from Latin America, up 26%.

It is clear that the Asia-Pacific region, and China in particular, will play key roles in the assimilation of the new polyethylene capacity coming on stream in 2017 and beyond.

From International Trader Publications’: China Polymer Trade Report, and, World Trade Reports on LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE and Ethylene Copolymers.