China imports more olefins, less polymers in March
23 April 2008 10:31 [Source: ICIS news]
Import volumes of ethylene saw a more than two-fold year-on-year surge while butadiene imports tripled to 22,816 tonnes from 6,632 tonnes.
Contrary to expectations, import volumes of high density, low density and linear low density polyethylene (HDPE, LDPE and LLDPE) fell 13%, 25% and 32% respectively due to decreased exports due to the strengthening yuan against the dollar and ban of the free distribution of plastic bags thinner than 0.025mm to come into effect on 1 June 2008.
Benzene, toluene and mixed xylene (BTX) import volumes also slipped 27%, 61% and 64% respectively.
Toluene imports fell to 23,914 tonnes from 60,569 tonnes on ample domestic capacity and the growing divide between international and domestic prices.
Paraxylene (PX) imports, however, rose to 338,786 tonnes from 29,024 tonnes year-on-year, while purified terephthalic acid (PTA) volumes surged to 484,461 tonnes from 29,174 tonnes on a bullish downstream polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sector from a strong pre-Olympics demand for textiles and bottle chips.
| Product | Period | Import (tonnes) | Export (tonnes) |
| Naphtha | March 2008 | 38,492 (-69%) | 217,375 (88%) |
|
| March 2007 | 122,444 | 115,506 |
|
| 2007 | 1,068,131 | 1,738,920 |
|
| 2006 | 639,178 | 1,573,068 |
| Olefins |
|
|
|
| Ethylene | March 2008 | 61,713 (121%) | 2,484 (-72%) |
|
| March 2007 | 27,939 | 8725 |
|
| 2007 | 509,821 | 49656 |
|
| 2006 | 117,366 | 128725 |
| Propylene | March 2008 | 64,145 (30%) | 6 (na) |
|
| March 2007 | 49,361 | 0 |
|
| 2007 | 727,804 | 86 |
|
| 2006 | 321,158 | 1,538 |
| Butadiene | March 2008 | 22,816 (244%) | 1,660 (-27%) |
|
| March 2007 | 6,632 | 2,271 |
|
| 2007 | 111,186 | 24,708 |
|
| 2006 | 89,159 | 26,941 |
| Polymers |
|
|
|
| HDPE | March 2008 | 186,855 (-13%) | 1,600 (-20%) |
|
| March 2007 | 214,523 | 2,011 |
|
| 2007 | 2,091,227 | 37,946 |
|
| 2006 | 2,419,487 | 20,007 |
| LDPE | March 2008 | 57,033 (-25%) | 1,409 (8%) |
|
| March 2007 | 76,238 | 1,301 |
|
| 2007 | 772,597 | 15,575 |
|
| 2006 | 931,791 | 14,772 |
| LLDPE | March 2008 | 132,794 (-32%) | 544 (297%) |
|
| March 2007 | 194,640 | 137 |
|
| 2007 | 1,670,555 | 6,856 |
|
| 2006 | 1,540,592 | 4,846 |
| PP | March 2008 | 203,592 (-35%) | 3,301 (32%) |
|
| March 2007 | 312,124 | 2,502 |
|
| 2007 | 3,070,064 | 31,128 |
|
| 2006 | 2,944,674 | 26,237 |
| PVC | March 2008 | 93,280 (-20%) | 78,653 (-13%) |
|
| March 2007 | 117,219 | 90,636 |
|
| 2007 | 1,303,878 | 752,978 |
|
| 2006 | 1,452,150 | 499,377 |
| PS | March 2008 | 98,178 (1%) | 31,049 (8%) |
|
| March 2007 | 97,023 | 28,699 |
|
| 2007 | 1,323,681 | 308,008 |
|
| 2006 | 1,319,142 | 188,376 |
| ABS | March 2008 | 178,196 (2%) | 3,401 (19%) |
|
| March 2007 | 175,180 | 2,864 |
|
| 2007 | 2,172,748 | 32,357 |
|
| 2006 | 2,014,742 | 19,577 |
| PC | March 2008 | 77,259 (-8%) | 23,109 (3%) |
|
| March 2007 | 83,897 | 22,366 |
|
| 2007 | 1,020,757 | 306,129 |
|
| 2006 | 899,271 | 185,437 |
| Aromatics |
|
|
|
| Benzene | March 2008 | 23,871 (-27%) | 4 (-99%) |
|
| March 2007 | 32,618 | 2,975 |
|
| 2007 | 248,736 | 56,129 |
|
| 2006 | 297,654 | 189,851 |
| Toluene | March 2008 | 23,914 (-61%) | 206 (836%) |
|
| March 2007 | 60,569 | 22 |
|
| 2007 | 444,638 | 2,108 |
|
| 2006 | 567,137 | 2,627 |
| MX | March 2008 | 66 (-64%) | 3,081 (38413%) |
|
| March 2007 | 184 | 8 |
|
| 2007 | 6,868 | 93 |
|
| 2006 | 10,287 | 91 |
| PX | March 2008 | 338,786 (1067%) | 20,972 (46%) |
|
| March 2007 | 29,024 | 14,326 |
|
| 2007 | 2,903,062 | 251,970 |
|
| 2006 | 1,840,172 | 97,796 |
| Intermediates |
|
|
|
| SM | March 2008 | 243,222 (-13%) | 12 (-72%) |
|
| March 2007 | 278,815 | 43 |
|
| 2007 | 3,101,454 | 164 |
|
| 2006 | 2,343,044 | 5,917 |
| PTA | March 2008 | 484,461 (1561%) | 0 (na) |
|
| March 2007 | 29,174 | 0 |
|
| 2007 | 5,992,544 | 47 |
|
| 2006 | 7,004,327 | 6 |
| MEG | March 2008 | 431,599 (7%) | 82 (-69%) |
|
| March 2007 | 403,911 | 264 |
|
| 2007 | 4,801,753 | 2,088 |
|
| 2006 | 4,061,283 | 911 |
| ACN | March 2008 | 22,785 (-22%) | 0 (na) |
|
| March 2007 | 29,261 | 0 |
|
| 2007 | 435,542 | 1,996 |
|
| 2006 | 324,477 | 51,941 |
| Caprolactam | March 2008 | 48,507 (14%) | 6 (100%) |
|
| March 2007 | 42,628 | 3 |
|
| 2007 | 472,480 | 28 |
|
| 2006 | 444,561 | 34 |
| Phenol | March 2008 | 34,369 (-22%) | 301 (1333%) |
|
| March 2007 | 44,248 | 21 |
|
| 2007 | 456,902 | 375 |
|
| 2006 | 284,622 | 388 |
| Others |
|
|
|
| Methanol | March 2008 | 69,952 (88%) | 90,565 (43%) |
|
| March 2007 | 37,254 | 63,552 |
|
| 2007 | 845,045 | 562,685 |
|
| 2006 | 1,127,297 | 190,033 |
| Acetone | March 2008 | 40,155 (-10%) | 117 (129%) |
|
| March 2007 | 44,727 | 51 |
|
| 2007 | 481,759 | 652 |
|
| 2006 | 395,945 | 508 |
| IPA | March 2008 | 10,176 (-12%) | 12 (-64%) |
|
| March 2007 | 11,617 | 33 |
|
| 2007 | 109,828 | 1,321 |
|
| 2006 | 95,773 | 1,177 |
| MEK | March 2008 | 2,703 (-71%) | 2,926 (-2%) |
|
| March 2007 | 9,407 | 2,990 |
|
| 2007 | 87,607 | 18,934 |
|
| 2006 | 94,478 | 28,061 |
| Base oil | March 2008 | 125,186 (na) | 12,683 (na) |
|
| March 2007 | na | na |
|
| 2007 | 46,732 | 58 |
|
| 2006 | 44,860 | 101 |
| Ethanol | March 2008 | 6 (-25%) | 1,373 (-87%) |
|
| March 2007 | 8 | 10,272 |
|
| 2007 | 154 | 110,717 |
|
| 2006 | 5,930 | 970,721 |
| BPA | March 2008 | 45,170 (27%) | 30 (150%) |
|
| March 2007 | 35,443 | 12 |
|
| 2007 | 460,523 | 2,122 |
|
| 2006 | 359,552 | 3,599 |
Source:
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