China unveils tariffs on US HDPE; India, Indonesia follow with LLDPE

According to media reports, China’s National Tariff Commission announced on April 5 that it will impose a 20% tariff on all High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) imports from the US starting May 1, citing “unfair trade practices.” The move is a direct response to the escalating US tariff program and marks a significant blow to American polymer exporters, especially given China’s key role as a global plastics consumer.

It is yet to be seen whether China will include other PE products including LDPE, LLDPE and metallocene LLDPE into its tariff list or will provide an exemption.

Right after China, India and Indonesia followed suit with fresh tariffs targeting Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) imports. India introduced duties ranging from 12% to 15%, while Indonesia set tariffs between 15% and 18%, adding further strain to US producers heavily reliant on international markets to absorb excess supply.

Differing from China, India and Indonesia have selected LLDPE, not HDPE. Their validation dates are not also clear at the time of press.

According to ChemOrbis Stats Wizard, the US exported around 14 million tons of PE in 2024 with HDPE making up around 35% of it while LDPE and LLDPE together form 25% of overall PE exports. Metallocene has a much bigger share of 40%, ChemOrbis Stats Wizard displays.

US PE producers face growing pressure from weakening global demand, falling monomer prices, and shrinking export orders. With exports making up over half of total PE sales, new tariffs from key Asian markets risk worsening inventory levels and forcing output cuts.