Styrene monomer imports from US to China rise three fold in April aid lack of S Korean supply

26-May-15

China's styrene monomer (SM) imports from the US almost tripled in April, amid major turnarounds taking place in South Korea over March-May, trade sources have been reported in Platts. South Korea is China's main supplier of SM. China imported 48,213 mt of SM from the US in April, up 32,138 mt (199.9%) from March, data released Monday by China's General Administration of Customs showed. Simultaneously, data showed a fall in China's SM imports from South Korea in April by 45,175 mt (41.8%), on month to 62,809 mt. Up to seven of the eight SM plants in South Korea, totalling to around 76% of the country's total SM production capacity, has shut for maintenance over March-May. The Asian SM market has been tight in the first and early second quarter of 2015 due mainly to a spate of turnarounds in main supplier South Korea.