China's imports of most petrochemical products soar in February

23 March 2012 09:54  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China increased its import volumes of most petrochemical products in February, with significant increases in benzene, low density polyethylene (LDPE), dioctyl phthalate (DOP) and caprolactam (capro), official data showed on Friday.

The country imported 114,784 tonnes of ethylene in February, a 73% year-on-year increase and a 6% rise from January, according to China Customs data.

China also imported 10,512 tonnes of butadiene (BD) in February, an increase of 25% year on year, but a decrease of 64% month on month, the data showed.

The country’s naphtha imports soared by 70% year on year to 342,737 tonnes in December, the data showed.

The country imported 85,356 tonnes of capro in February, a 110% year-on-year increase, it showed.

Meanwhile, China’s imports of paraxylene (PX), which is mostly used in the textile industry, increased by 35% year on year in February to 452,536 tonnes, according to the data.

DOP imports were at 20,209 tonnes in February, more than doubling from the previous year and more than tripling from January, the data showed.

Import DOP volumes soared in February mainly because of the arrival of about 17,000 tonnes of DOP from Taiwan, said a DOP industry source.

However, imports of some petrochemicals declined year on year in February, including that of base oils, mixed xylenes (MX), acrylonitrile (ACN), phenol, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and butyl acrylate (butyl-A).

2012-Feb	Import			Export
Product	Import (tonnes)	YoY growth (%)	MoM growth (%)	Export (tonnes)	YoY growth (%)	MoM growth (%)
Naphtha	342,737	70%	-5%	28,333	%	-68%
Ethylene	114,784	73%	6%	0	-83%	-
Propylene	163,217	5%	5%	0
Butadiene	10,512	25%	-64%	1,486	-64%	-63%
HDPE	377,525	83%	31%	11,263	82%	72%
LDPE	138,870	112%	19%	5,767	35%	18%
LLDPE	203,507	16%	35%	6,167	620%	99%
PP	357,588	32%	26%	10,669	68%	14%
PVC	111,496	6%	20%	21,782	29%	58%
EPS	5,410	13%	61%	24,159	59%	-16%
Benzene	60,487	899%	35%	1,463	-94%	-57%
Toluene	70,420	45%	12%	162	305%	10%
MX	9	-100%	-31%	98	553%	128%
PX	452,536	35%	1%	14,563	-66%	2%
SM	344,776	47%	14%	0	-100%	-100%
PTA	477,000	43%	10%	0	-100%	-
MEG	667,560	70%	-6%	240	112%	-13%
ACN	47,036	-2%	18%	0	-	-
Caprolactam	85,356	110%	32%	1	-	-92%
Phenol	61,118	-8%	15%	1,206	-37%	13%
Methanol	391,407	42%	-2%	15,356	6168%	85%
Acetone	83,297	46%	44%	52	206%	-38%
BPA	54,762	51%	34%	1	-	-50%
IPA	14,566	152%	36%	73	-56%	-21%
MEK	85	-97%	-95%	8,133	163%	1%
Base oil	178,828	-6%	14%	16,775	175%	47%
MMA	25,343	123%	154%	3,349	-23%	-7%
PMMA	17,370	30%	35%	1,341	38%	134%
GAA	3,703	45%	21%	4,007	102%	22%
BA	2,403	-18%	-16%	1,190	28%	91%
2EHA	1,759	63%	134%	280	67%	419%
2-EH	35,745	75%	13%	122	239%	-49%
NBA	52,536	21%	-6%	20	25%	-64%
PA	19,001	124%	41%	221	191%	55%
DOP	20,209	159%	244%	453	-41%	101%
Polysilicon	7,615	-	63%	159	-	134%

Source: China Customs

By: Adele Zhu

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