China’s June petchem imports mixed, naphtha intake nearly triples

Nurluqman Suratman

29-Jul-2013

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–China’s imports of major petrochemicals were mixed in June, with the intake of key production feedstock naphtha almost tripling on a year-on-year basis, according to official data.

The country took in 345,735 tonnes of naphtha in June, representing almost a threefold increase from a year earlier, according to data from China Customs. (please see table below)

Imports of ethylene was up by 20% year on year to 129,061 tonnes in June, while imports of propylene rose by 30% to 189,147, the data showed.

Meanwhile, imports of toluene fell by 21% year on year to 64,253 tonnes in June, while the intake of purified terephthalic acid (PTA) fell by 56% to 161,909 tonnes.

China, the world’s second biggest economy, is a major importer of petrochemicals in Asia.

The country’s overall exports and imports unexpectedly fell in June this year, weighed by the slowdown in demand from the major industrial economies.

China’s overall exports fell 3.1% year on year in June while imports were down by 0.8%, according to the General Administration of Customs.

The country’s economy is likely to expand by 7.7% this year, slightly slower than the 7.8% clip in 2012 amid slowing trade, the Asian Development Bank said earlier this month.

Its export and import activities have slowed down because of weak external demand, but the ADB noted in its latest Asian Development Outlook Supplement that consumer confidence in the country continues to be robust.

China’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) dropped to 50.1% in June, down from 50.8% May, indicating a further slowdown in the country’s manufacturing activities, according to the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing (CFLP).

The new orders index declined by 1.4 percentage points to 50.4% in June, and production index dropped to 52.0%, down by 1.3 percentage points from the previous month, it added.

2013-June

Import

Export

Product

Import (tonnes)

YoY growth (%)

MoM growth (%)

Export (tonnes)

YoY growth (%)

MoM growth (%)

Naphtha

345,735

162%

29%

29,588

0

-66%

Ethylene

129,061

20%

-11%

31

818%

193650%

Propylene

189,147

30%

-6%

0

Butadiene

12,882

-8%

-53%

1,461

-73%

HDPE

414,909

41%

5%

10,972

-8%

-11%

LDPE

133,715

6%

3%

3,377

-42%

-29%

LLDPE

153,409

-5%

-11%

2,131

-50%

-64%

PP

369,705

14%

-5%

15,468

4%

-8%

PVC

73,804

1%

15%

56,273

177%

-3%

EPS

5,867

-2%

-10%

26,528

0%

8%

Benzene

15,112

158%

-81%

2,883

-2%

-51%

Toluene

64,253

-21%

-2%

38

-98%

9%

PX

646,413

34%

-6%

20,773

36%

38%

SM

332,998

1%

3%

0

-100%

-100%

PTA

161,909

-56%

-16%

10,922

44%

MEG

601,431

-1%

-19%

154

-13%

-40%

ACN

40,597

9%

3%

0

Capro

30,042

-33%

17%

504

-2%

Phenol

27,800

-51%

-13%

235

-97%

59%

Methanol

275,337

3%

-40%

175,902

1574%

707%

Acetone

39,630

3%

-16%

55

3%

28%

BPA

44,033

20%

-19%

6

-98%

-80%

IPA

8,581

154%

63%

73

-34%

11%

MEK

8

-95%

-99%

12,097

110%

146%

Base oil

134,099

-12%

-32%

2,607

-63%

-68%

MMA

14,809

-8%

-32%

4,682

-3%

43%

PMMA

18,200

-12%

-9%

1,154

-51%

2%

GAA

2,627

-35%

22%

17,419

245%

-2%

Butyl-A

276

-8%

8%

4,872

19%

40%

2EHA

2,009

-2%

247%

222

-64%

-68%

2-EH

11,430

-53%

-52%

532

-50%

-65%

NBA

48,570

96%

-4%

131

27%

62%

PA

5,633

70%

-13%

9

-95%

80%

DOP

4,994

-49%

-60%

413

-41%

-46%

Polysilicon

4,801

-31%

-18%

140

-24%

-68%

Alkylbenzene

3,278

72%

133%

9,864

58%

-33%

Anionic surfactants

5,023

-19%

-2%

10,754

3%

-22%

Butyl glycol ether

13,137

74%

12%

24

-88%

1100%

Additional reporting by Dolly Wu

Read John Richardson and Malini Hariharan’s blog – Asian Chemical Connections

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