Turkey’s Jan-May polymer imports reach record high, China retreats

According to ChemOrbis Import Statistics, Turkey’s cumulative polymer imports in the first five months of 2016 climbed by around 4.4% on a yearly basis to reach a little more than 1,900,000 tons, hitting a record high since ChemOrbis began keeping records in 2000.

On a product basis, there is an increase in the imports of almost all products except for PVC which recorded a decrease of 14% on a yearly basis in the first five months. PVC imports have been retreating since 2013 in Turkey, which can be mainly attributed to the slower export business of Turkish converters.

Looking at other polymers, LLDPE and HDPE imports posted yearly increases of 9.2% and 12% respectively in the first five months while LDPE imports witnessed a slight decrease of 3.5% from a year earlier. For PP, imports were up by around 8.4% for copolymers while they were mostly unchanged for homo grades over the same period.

You can visit ChemOrbis Import Statistics by product and ChemOrbis Import Statistics by country to view and compare Turkey’s exact import figures on a yearly and monthly basis in further detail for polymers. (For members only)

Meanwhile, China’s overall imports for polymers in the first five months of 2016 posted a year over year decrease of 9% following a record high in 2015. There is a decrease in the imports of all polymers while the most notable drops were recorded in homo-PP, PVC and PS imports as they retreated by around 20% when compared to the same period of 2015. This was mostly due to the fact that China continues to grow its own domestic capacity for these products.

PP copolymer and LLDPE imports posted a yearly decrease of around 10% while the other products including LDPE, HDPE and ABS registered smaller decreases on a yearly basis in the first 5 months.

You can visit ChemOrbis Import Statistics by product and ChemOrbis Import Statistics by country to view and compare China’s exact import figures on a yearly and monthly basis in further detail for polymers. (For members only)