China’s polymer imports fall by 8% in 2Q 2014

31-Jul-14

China’s imports of polymers fell by around 8% in Q2-2014, in line with the second quarter drops recorded in three of the past four years since 2010, according to ChemOrbis. In Q2-2010, China’s polymer imports fell 13% compared to Q1-2010. In 2011, Q2 quarter imports dropped 17% from Q1. In 2012, the drop in Q2 imports was at 12%. In 2013, Q2 imports recorded an increase, but at a relatively minor growth rate of just 1% from Q1. In 2014, the Q2 imports dropped 8% compared to the first quarter. In each of the past four years, Q2 drop in imports was followed by an increase in Q3. In 2010, imports in Q3 compared to the second quarter were up 5%. In 2011, third quarter imports were up 24%, in 2012, they rose 33% and in 2013, they were up 17% compared to the second quarter of the same year, according to ChemOrbis Stats Wizard. In June of 2014, China’s total polymer imports decreased 3.6% month over month to reach 1,351,547 tons. When compared to the same month of 2013, total polymer imports were up 1.7%. For the first half of 2014, polymer imports climbed around 11% from 2013 to 8,628,798 tons, according to Chinese Customs. On a month over month basis compared to May 2014, June imports of HDPE were down 1.8%, LDPE was down 7.2%, LLDPE was down 6.8%, PVC was down 15%, PS was down 14.6%, and homo-PP recorded an increase of 1%.