BEIJING: China’s import volumes of most key polymers fell in February, with the overall intake of petrochemicals showing a mixed picture, official data showed here the other day.
The country’s imports of high density polyethylene (HDPE) fell by 8% year on year to 322,210 tonnes, while its intake of low density polyethylene (LDPE) was down by 26% at 119,157 tonnes, according to data from China Customs.
Imports of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) fell by 32% year on year to 137,640 tonnes while those of polypropylene were down by 16% at 315,809 tonnes, the data showed.
On a year-on-year basis, import volumes of 21 major products showed an increase while another 23 posted a contraction, according to the data.
Among other products, China’s imports of naphtha, dioctyl phthalate (DOP) and benzene surged on a year-on-year basis in February, while its intake of maleic anhydride (MA), glacial acrylic acid (GAA) and ethyl acetate (etac) fell, the data showed.
China’s naphtha imports surged by more than sixfold to 398,750 tonnes in February from the same month in 2014 and up by 27% month on month, according to China Customs data.
The county imported about 7,707 tonnes of DOP in February, a more than fourfold increase compared with the same period last year, but down by 42% on a month-on-month basis, the data showed.
Benzene imports in February more than doubled to 156,681 tonnes year on year, according to the data.
Imports of MA fell by 86% year on year to 3 tonnes in February, while GAA imports fell by 73% to 1,118 tonnes, the data whosed.
Ethyl acetate imports were at 11 tonnes in February, a 65% drop compared with the same period last year, according to China Customs.
