HOUSTON: US ethylbenzene imports for January were nearly four times the amount of the same month the prior year, while exports fell by 62.4%, according to data released this week by the US International Trade Commission (ITC). Despite the increase, import levels remain at a typically low level. All material received in January was from Canada, as was the case in January 2016. Low import and export levels are common for US ethylbenzene, most of which is produced and used internally for the manufacture of styrene. Import and export levels generally correspond to upstream benzene supply issues, downstream styrene production outages, or infrequent arbitrage opportunities.
The US received no ethylbenzene imports in December 2016. The leading destination for US ethylbenzene exports in January was China, followed by Canada and Mexico. The decline of export levels was led by a drop in shipments to Italy and The Netherlands. Month on month, ethylbenzene exports fell by 40.9% from the previous month, largely due to fewer shipments sent to Canada.
