US ’06 C2 exports bounce from hurricane squeeze

16 February 2007 18:45  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--The absence of severe hurricanes on the US Gulf coast was behind a 15% bounce in 2006 ethylene exports to 82,000 tonnes from a year earlier, traders said on Friday.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita disrupted petrochemical operations on the US Gulf coast in 2005 and reduced ethylene exports for the year, a trader said.

The largest recipient of US ethylene was Belgium, which received 71,000 tonnes in 2006, up from 56,000 tonnes a year earlier, according to US government data.

Trading in US ethylene to offshore locations is limited to Mitsubishi, which has exclusive marketing rights. Traders said two cargoes/month typically leave the US Gulf for northwest Europe.

By: Mark Quiner
+1 713 525 2653

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