Global trade in LDPE/LLDPE was 22.3 million tons in 2022. LDPE/LLDPE accounted for 33% of the 68 million tons of all grades of ethylene polymers traded globally that year.
LDPE/LLDPE is defined as low or linear low density polyethylene with ethylene monomer content equal to or greater than 95%. Statistics available from countries that separately define LDPE from LLDPE within this category indicate that of the 22.3 million tons of combined LDPE/LLDPE, about 8 million tons are linear polymer and 14.3 million tons are conventional high pressure or other low density polyethylene.
In 2013, ITP quantified 17.7 million tons of trade in LDPE/LLDPE. Volume expanded gradually each year, peaking at 23.9 million tons in 2018. Trade declined in 2019 and 2020, then rose marginally in both 2021 and 2022. ITP projects a 1% decline in global trade volume in 2023, to 22.1 million tons.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/itpweb-blog1.appspot.com/1/2023/09/Global-trade-volume-in-LDPE-plus-LLDPE.jpg)
The following graphs illustrate the changes that have occurred over the period 2018-2022 in how much LDPE/LLDPE is exported by each region to other regions and how much is imported into each region from other regions (both excluding intra-regional trade). Prominent are the decline in exports out of the Middle East and also Western Europe and higher volumes out of North America and Asia-Pacific. On the import side, Asia-Pacific volumes were down 23% over the period but imports into other regions, especially Africa and Latin America, were up.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/itpweb-blog1.appspot.com/1/2023/09/LDPE-and-LLDPE-exports-and-imports-by-regions.jpg)
As it did for other polyethylene grades, China greatly influenced global trade. Imports were low from mid-2021 continuing through June 2023. India, by contrast, was a strong growth market over the last twelve months.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/itpweb-blog1.appspot.com/1/2023/09/China-and-Indias-imports-LDPE-LLDPE.jpg)
Exports of LDPE/LLDPE out of the US trended higher from early 2022, with shipments through June 2023 totaling 1.6 million tons, up 13% from the first half of 2022. Exports to China more than doubled. Iran’s exports through June were 0.7 million tons, down 24%, with much lower volume to China a factor in the decline.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/itpweb-blog1.appspot.com/1/2023/09/US-and-Iran-exports-LDPE-LLDPE-1024x361.jpg)
From International Trader Publications LDPE/LLDPE World Trade Analysis, a continuously updated online analysis of global trade developed from trade statistics from all available countries.