Global trade in ethylene-vinyl-acetate copolymers increased by 76% from 2013 to 2023 (projected). On a regional level, over the last five years, there were strong gains on exports from Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and North America and on imports into Asia-Pacific, Africa and Eastern Europe. Western Europe’s trade in EVA declined.

Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) is a soft, flexible elastomeric polymer most commonly used in packaging, adhesives, and as a foam in shoes, yoga mats, and sports equipment for its shock-absorbing properties.

The volume of EVA traded globally between 2013 and 2022 rose by over 61%, from 1.82 million tons in 2013 to 2.93 million tons in 2022. While 2023 data will not be complete until all countries have reported trade statistics through December (expected mid-March), global trade volume is projected to reach 3.2 million tons, up 76% over the 2013 to 2023 period and including an increase of 9% from 2022 to 2023.

The following graphs compare the five-year period 2019 and 2023 (projected), and show the volume of EVA exported and imported by each region (excluding intra-trade):

Exports from Asia-Pacific increased by 147K tons, with nearly half the total volume going to Africa (151K tons). Exports from the Middle East and North America also rose significantly (up 70K and 38K tons, respectively), with most of the total volume going to Asia-Pacific.

Imports into Africa increased by 106K tons, making it the second largest importing region after APAC. Imports into Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe also increased markedly (by 59K and 36k tons, respectively).

These trends are readily apparent in the tables below, showing the greatest increases by volume over the past five years at the country-level:

On the other hand, Western European exports decreased by 53K tons and imports by 17K tons since 2019. Looking more closely at the EU 27 plus Norway, Switzerland, and the UK: Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain, and France have seen a significant decrease in trade volume both in and out, while the Czech Republic and Portugal have bucked that trend.

From International Trader Publications’ EVA World Trade Analysis, a continuously updated online analysis of global trade developed from trade statistics from all available countries. For a free trial, please contact (itp@itpweb.com).