Brazil’s imports of ethylene polymers were up 13% through June, 2017 and imports of propylene polymers increased 5%. Brazil’s exports of these polymers were off slightly YTD.

Brazil imported 415,000 tons of ethylene polymers through June, the 13% increase versus the same period in the prior year largely reflecting moderately higher imports of HDPE and large percentage gains on smaller volume imports of LDPE and LLDPE. North America supplied 187,000 tons of the total, up 2%; 132,000 tons were sourced from within the Latin American region, up 17%. Although volumes from the Middle East were small, 31,000 tons, this was an increase of over 300% from last year.

Imports of propylene polymers were 152,000 tons in the first half of 2017, about 100,000 tons of which was homopolymer, with a 9% increase. Imports from North America were minor; leading sources were other Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Middle East.

Brazil exported nearly 500,000 tons of ethylene polymers, down 5%, and 300,000 tons of propylene polymers, down 1%. Roughly half of both polymer exports were to other Latin American markets; most of the remainder to Western Europe, followed by Asia-Pacific.

From International Trader Publications’: Brazil Polymer Trade Report