EU ethylene imports surge by over 200%, PE imports up 52% over first four months of 2016

17-Jun-16

EU imports of ethylene in the first four months of the year surged 235% compared with the first four months of 2015, according Eurostat data. Imports rose from 42,557 mt in January-April 2015 to 142,590 mt in the same four months of 2016. This import figure is expected to rise further.
At the end of May a broker reported that a 6,700 mt ethylene cargo had been fixed for delivery from Houston into Europe, arriving in early June, with an open arbitrage window between the regions.

EU polyethylene imports in the first four months of the year rose 52% compared with Jan-April 2015, according to the latest Eurostat data released. Imports rose to 1,181,435 mt in the first four months of this year from 777,961 mt over the same 2015 period.
High density PE imports rose to 528,475 mt from 365,554 mt. Low density imports rose to 248,620 mt from 180,202 mt. Linear low density polyethylene imports rose to 404,340 mt from 232,204 mt.