The strike begun at midnight, September 30th, by the International Longshoreman’s Association, and ended a few days later, had the potential to disrupt US polymer exports, particularly of polyethylene and PVC, particularly large volumes of which are shipped out of Houston-Galveston, Texas.

In 2023, the US reported exports of 13.8 million tons of polyethylene (all grades), up 21% from 2022. Shipments out of Houston-Galveston were 7.8 million tons, 57% of the total.

China, Mexico, Brazil, Canada and Belgium were the top five destinations for US exports.

PVC was another large volume export, with 3.3 million tons shipped in 2023, up 18% from 2022. Shipments out of Houston-Galveston were 1.3 million tons, 39% of the total.

Canada, Mexico, India, Turkey and China were the top five destinations for US exports.

From International Trader Publications’ World Trade Analyses of all grades of polyethylene and vinyl polymers, continuously updated analyses of global trade based on latest statistics, vetted for accuracy, from all available countries.