China March import volumes of most petrochemicals rise on year
Viola Pan
24-Apr-2015
SINGAPORE (ICIS)–China’s import volumes of most petrochemical products grew in March, with dioctyl phthalate (DOP) registering the biggest increase on a year-on-year basis, official data showed on Friday.
Of the 45 products being tracked by ICIS, 29 recorded higher volumes last month compared with the previous corresponding period, while 15 products posted lower volumes, and one was flat, based on statistics from China Customs. (Please see table below)
The country’s DOP imports in March surged to 23,501 tonnes from 1,707 tonnes in the same period last year, while isopropanol (IPA) imports soared more than fivefold to 8,040 tonnes.
Imports of petrochemical feedstock naphtha increased by more than three folds in March to 494,464 tonnes, with those of butadiene, benzene, methanol and phthalic anhydride more than doubled.
Meanwhile, March imports of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) dropped 55%, while those of butyl glycol ether and ethyl acetate shrank by 46% and 40%, respectively, the data showed.
China March petrochemical trade
| 2015-Mar | Import | Export | ||||
| Product | Import (tonnes) | YoY growth (%) | MoM growth (%) | Export (tonnes) | YoY growth (%) | MoM growth (%) |
|
Naphtha |
494,464 |
247% |
24% |
0 |
-100% |
– |
|
Ethylene |
109,584 |
-18% |
-9% |
0 |
-95% |
-92% |
|
Propylene |
276,892 |
3% |
9% |
0 |
-100% |
-100% |
|
Butadiene |
38,502 |
113% |
62% |
0 |
– |
– |
|
HDPE |
596,937 |
74% |
85% |
17,768 |
23% |
143% |
|
LDPE |
227,087 |
32% |
91% |
4,163 |
17% |
41% |
|
LLDPE |
314,626 |
33% |
129% |
7,199 |
142% |
409% |
|
PP |
567,042 |
43% |
80% |
21,122 |
65% |
154% |
|
PVC |
94,907 |
21% |
35% |
126,260 |
41% |
208% |
|
EPS |
3,650 |
-24% |
20% |
24,248 |
8% |
29% |
|
Benzene |
196,687 |
145% |
26% |
5,911 |
103% |
-33% |
|
Toluene |
90,295 |
-37% |
60% |
90 |
-28% |
171% |
|
PX |
1,054,587 |
39% |
26% |
10,119 |
104% |
52166% |
|
SM |
324,047 |
1% |
16% |
0 |
-100% |
– |
|
PTA |
63,528 |
-37% |
25% |
38,026 |
-15% |
68% |
|
MEG |
699,813 |
0% |
6% |
173 |
-54% |
43% |
|
ACN |
49,380 |
6% |
87% |
0 |
– |
– |
|
Caprolactam |
22,321 |
6% |
20% |
10 |
999900% |
0% |
|
Phenol |
21,715 |
32% |
102% |
2,988 |
-43% |
13166% |
|
Methanol |
414,999 |
161% |
32% |
27,571 |
-80% |
15% |
|
Acetone |
28,137 |
-30% |
-20% |
5 |
-88% |
-90% |
|
BPA |
63,816 |
98% |
41% |
10 |
-35% |
– |
|
IPA |
8,040 |
444% |
40% |
3,878 |
13% |
136% |
|
MEK |
153 |
-55% |
139% |
9,717 |
83% |
64% |
|
Base oil |
263,001 |
-9% |
47% |
1,920 |
104% |
26% |
|
MMA |
19,246 |
-26% |
-24% |
2,379 |
-8% |
18% |
|
PMMA |
16,614 |
-12% |
29% |
1,022 |
1% |
106% |
|
GAA |
4,583 |
-25% |
310% |
4,001 |
-42% |
-2% |
|
butyl-A |
3,227 |
-30% |
187% |
2,928 |
-47% |
-53% |
|
2EHA |
2,845 |
67% |
0% |
794 |
3% |
0% |
|
2-EH |
17,625 |
-14% |
-28% |
258 |
-91% |
-60% |
|
NBA |
33,023 |
85% |
42% |
39 |
-55% |
-23% |
|
PA |
11,254 |
167% |
128% |
27 |
-50% |
-40% |
|
DOP |
23,501 |
1277% |
205% |
712 |
0% |
27% |
|
Polysilicon |
10,297 |
23% |
36% |
172 |
8% |
3% |
|
alkylbenzene |
2,375 |
64% |
12% |
12,163 |
10% |
5% |
|
anionic surfactants |
4,606 |
4% |
38% |
15,670 |
16% |
13% |
|
Butyl glycol ether |
7,660 |
-46% |
-27% |
367 |
1415% |
32% |
|
MIBK |
6,078 |
27% |
99% |
3 |
697% |
-58% |
|
Ethyl acetate |
26 |
-40% |
136% |
37,219 |
-7% |
189% |
|
TiO2 |
14,318 |
4% |
7% |
46,887 |
6% |
11% |
|
Epoxy Resins |
23,345 |
15% |
53% |
5,273 |
-20% |
-4% |
|
MA |
47 |
68% |
1271% |
5,340 |
90% |
57% |
|
ECH |
4,557 |
157% |
-18% |
8 |
-89% |
-86% |
|
PET |
15,414 |
-1% |
68% |
183,934 |
-22% |
27% |
Source: China Customs
Read John Richardson and Malini Hariharan’s blog – Asian Chemical Connections
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