China March PE import volumes grow; olefin imports dip

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–China’s polyethylene (PE) import volumes in March increased across three product grades on a year-on-year basis, while its imports of olefins dipped, official data showed on Thursday.

Imports of low density PE (LDPE) were up 21%, while those of linear low density PE (LLDPE) surged 67%. High density PE (HDPE) volumes inched up 1%, according to China Customs.

Meanwhile, China’s March imports of ethylene declined 9%, while those of propylene and butadiene (BD) slipped 1% and 13%, respectively.

Thirty-two of the 61 chemical products whose trades in China were tracked by ICIS registered higher import volumes in March.

The country, which is the world’s second-biggest economy, is a major importer of petrochemicals in Asia.

Import volumes of PTA more than tripled to 85,574 tonnes in March, while those of monoethylene glycol (MEG) increased 39% and acrylonitrile (ACN) rose 28%, according to China Customs data.

Among those that registered lower import volumes was styrene, which fell 30% year on year.

ICN