China polymers imports, exports up in March

24 April 2007 11:33  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS news)--China imported more polymers in March this year compared to a year ago, but imports of most aromatics fell, statistics from the country’s customs bureau showed on Tuesday.

Imports of high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density PE (LDPE) and linear low density PE (LLDPE) grew 21%, 13% and 36% respectively while polypropylene (PP) imports rose 27% to 312,124 tonnes.

Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC) imports rose 9% and 17% respectively.

The exceptions were polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polystyrene (PS) imports, which fell 21% and 11% respectively.

The country also exported more polymers in March from the same month last year, except for LDPE, which fell 23% 1,301 tonnes.

China imported 39% more naphtha but exported 19% less of the product last month.

It imported more olefins, namely ethylene and propylene, in March, but saw butadiene (BD) imports fall 54% to 6,632 tonnes.

Exports of BD, however, surged to 2,271 tonnes in March this year from 212 tonnes the same month last year.

The country imported less aromatics last month, except for toluene, which saw a slight rise of 2%.

Exports of PX tripled to 14,326 tonnes, but exports of benzene and toluene fell sharply by 90% and 83% respectively.

China imported less methanol and ethanol in March. Exports of methanol, however, swelled 457% to 63,552 tonnes.

Product	March	Import (tonnes)	Export (tonnes)
Naphtha	2007	122444 (39%)	115506 (-19%)
	2006	88402	141920
Olefins
Ethylene	2007	27939 (273%)	8725 (-42%)
	2006	7495	14993
Propylene	2007	49361 (75%)	(-100%)
	2006	28185	1
Butadiene	2007	6632 (-54%)	2271 (971%)
	2006	14391	212
Polymers
hdPE	2007	214523 (21%)	2011 (8%)
	2006	177402	1860
ldPE	2007	76238 (13%)	1301 (-23%)
	2006	67427	1691
lldPE	2007	194640 (36%)	137 (57%)
	2006	142626	87
PP	2007	312124 (27%)	2502 (44%)
	2006	245330	1743
PVC	2007	117219 (-21%)	90636 (72%)
	2006	147702	52836
PS	2007	97023 (-11%)	28699 (136%)
	2006	108889	12152
ABS	2007	175180 (9%)	2864 (128%)
	2006	160575	1255
PC	2007	83897 (17%)	22366 (31%)
	2006	72005	17087
Aromatics
Benzene	2007	32618 (-15%)	2975 (-90%)
	2006	38452	28818
Toluene	2007	60569 (2%)	22 (-83%)
	2006	59312	133
MX	2007	184 (-7%)	8 (%)
	2006	197	8
PX	2007	29024 (-76%)	14326 (198%)
	2006	122189	4806
Intermediates
SM	2007	278815 (26%)	43 (-78%)
	2006	221203	193
PTA	2007	29174 (-97%)	0 (NA)
	2006	1022064	0
MEG	2007	403911 (11%)	264 (355%)
	2006	362344	58
ACN	2007	29261 (-9%)	(-100%)
	2006	32236	8884
Caprolactam		42628 (-12%)	3 (-50%)
	2006	48204	6
Phenol	2007	44248 (80%)	21 (-45%)
	2006	24642	38
Others
Methanol	2007	37254 (-71%)	63552 (457%)
	2006	127191	11413
Acetone	2007	44727 (74%)	51 (-52%)
	2006	25753	107
BPA	2007	35443 (-8%)	12 (-98%)
	2006	38624	741
IPA	2007	11617 (119%)	33 (-88%)
	2006	5300	264
MEK	2007	9407 (3%)	2990 (-1%)
	2006	9147	3029
MIBK	2007	3354 (-4%)	(-99%)
	2006	3484	15
Ethanol	2007	8 (-50%)	10272 (-50%)
	2006	16	20544

Source: China Customs

By: Jeanne Lim
+65 6780 4359

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