US PE exports shift to Southeast Asia, Africa

US polyethylene (PE) exports are expected to continue increasing to high growth regions such as southeast Asia and Africa in 2019 as volumes to China decline precipitously in the face of tariffs. The trade data is limited, going only through October 2018 so far, but a clear pattern has emerged. US exports of the two grades of PE under tariff - high density PE (HDPE) and linear low density PE (LLDPE) – to China plunged by 55% from July 2018 to October 2018, according to the latest data from the US International Trade Commission (USITC) compiled by consultancy Accenture. “However, higher growth regions in Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Africa have taken up more than that share.