China’s homo PP, PVC, LDPE and PS imports to end 2016 with contraction

China’s imports for major polymers including homo PP, PVC, LDPE and PS posted a visible contraction in the first eleven months of 2016 and therefore, these polymers are expected to end the year with a similar reduction in import market size when the data for December is revealed.

According to ChemOrbis Import Statistics, cumulative imports for all polymers dropped around 4% in January-November year-on-year.

The largest contraction was witnessed in homo PP as its imports fell by more than 13% in the first eleven months of this year. South Korea, which is China’s major import homo PP supplier, lost a small market share of a little more than 2% whereas Saudi Arabia, which is the second largest import supplier for homo PP to China, had a much larger market loss of 25% in the first 11 months year-on-year.

In the PVC market, imports were steadily diminishing since 2010 until 2014. In 2015, imports were up 5% year over year, but this increase in import market size is apparently not sustained in 2016 as cumulative imports in January-November shrank by 11%. The US remained as the top import PVC supplier of China and raised its market share by 5% year-on-year in January-November, although the market shares of the second and the third largest suppliers, namely Taiwan and Japan, respectively posted a more considerable drop of 17% and 28% on a yearly basis.

As for LDPE, China’s import market narrowed by around 9% year-on-year in January-November. Iran, the top import supplier, exported around 4% less LDPE in 2016 than in 2015 to China. Qatar and South Korea appear to have filled in Iran’s absence as they increased their exports in the same timeframe.

The overall import PS market also witnessed a yearly contraction of more than 11% in the first 11 months of 2016. The major loss in market share was witnessed in Taiwan, which is the top import supplier, as it exported 12% less in January-November 2016 than the same period of 2015.