Japanese ethylene production sinks by 23.7% yoy in February

12-Mar-09

Deteriorating petrochemical demand has caused ethylene production in Japan to tank by 23.7% year on year in February. With this, Japan's ethylene production has fallen by double digits for the sixth consecutive month. Ethylene output totalled 463,200 tons last month, compared with 606,800 tons in February 2008 and 501,300 tons in January. There were no maintenance-related plant shutdowns in Japan, the same as for February 2008 and January. Ethylene export volume in January jumped 25.7% to 230,700 tons from a year earlier.