Despite the rise, shipments were still 20% below the record high volumes exported in January 2021. There was also a marked change in export destinations by region between the two periods.

US exports in January 2022 outside the region of every ethylene polymer increased from the prior month: HDPE, ethylene-alpha-olefins copolymers, LDPE, LLDPE and EVA. Shipments totaled 734,000 tons, up by about 50,000 tons from December 2021.

Compared with January of the prior year, US exports in January 2022 to Western Europe increased; volumes to Latin America and, especially, Asia-Pacific, were down.

From International Trader Publications’ United States Polymer Trade Report, a monthly analysis of US trade in all grades of polyethylene, polypropylene, styrenics, PVC, and PET, and also recyclable polymers and major fabricated plastic products.