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US Plastics Imports and Exports in 2007

Canada, Mexico & China Largest Buyers of American Plastic Materials

Aug 11, 2008

Colored plastic drinking straws, Missy Red Boots (morguefile 125262)

Plastics: With the United States increasing its exports by 15.6% to $29.1 billion last year, that one-word piece of advice from 1967's The Graduate holds true even today.

According to Australia’s Plastics and Chemicals Industries Association, plastic materials account for about half of all product packaging. From bottled water to miniature electronics, plastics add less than 3% to a product’s total weight and therefore require less fuel to transport than heavier packaging materials like glass.

Most sectors in the economy use plastic materials. The automotive industry includes plastics in air bags, bumpers, dash boards, fuel tanks and seat belts. Building construction draws on plastics as source materials for insulation and water pipes.

Due to their strength and ability to be moulded into flexible shapes, plastic materials are also used in medical products such as artificial knees and shoulders, replacement heart valves and customized hearing aids.

U.S. Plastic Materials Exports by Country

Below are the top 10 importing countries, consuming 71.4% of total U.S. plastics shipments in 2007.

Canada … US$5.6 billion – down 1.1% from 2006, up 42.4% from 2003 (19.4% of total US plastics exports)
Mexico … $5.2 billion – up 2.6%, up 77.7% (17.9%)
China … $2.9 billion – up 36.6%, up 212.2% (10.1%)
Belgium … $1.7 billion – up 10.2%, up 53.7% (5.7%)
Japan … $1.14 billion – up 3.9%, up 65.4% (3.9%)
Brazil … $1.1 billion – up 42.4%, up 157.4% (3.7%)
Netherlands … $935.7 million – up 29.5%, up 80.7% (3.2%)
Hong Kong … $859.3 million – down 2.8%, up 46.5% (3%)
South Korea … $710.3 million – down 3.7%, up 64.6% (2.4%)
Singapore … $609.4 million – up 20.2%, up 68.1% (2.1%).

Biggest Plastics Sales Percentage Increases by Importing Country

Among importers of at least US$20 million worth of American plastics last year, the following countries grew their purchases of U.S. plastic supplies by the highest percentages.

Portugal … US$23 million (up 194.3% from 2006, up 312.1% from 2003)
Turkey … $309 million (up 169.7%, up 441.7%)
Egypt … $160.8 million (up 144.8%, up 209.2%)
Peru … $376.9 million (up 132.1%, up 290.2%)
Nigeria … $132.8 million (up 110.6%, up 757.6%)
Chile … $343.4 million (up 97.7%, up 393%)
Spain … $118.4 million (up 85.7%, up 124.9%)
Israel … $332 million (up 82.2%, up 251%)
Ecuador … $203.4 million (up 79.7%, up 264.2%)
United Arab Emirates … $75.7 million (up 74.6%, up 142.3%).

Top Countries Providing Plastic Materials to U.S.

Last year, America imported US$12.8 billion in plastic materials. That amount is down 4.6% from 2006 and up 50.9% from 2003. The following 10 countries shipped 82.6% of the total imported platics that the U.S. received in 2007.

Canada … US$5.6 billion – down 3.3% from 2006, up 44.8% from 2003 (43.9% of total US plastics imports)
Germany … $1.1 billion – up 0.6%, up 43.9% (8.6%)
Mexico … $977.7 million – down 5.1%, up 121.3% (7.6%)
Japan … $965.7 million – down 4%, up 16.1% (7.5%)
South Korea … $441.4 million – down 10.9%, up 76.2% (3.4%)
China … $440.8 million – down 12.8%, up 285.6% (3.4%)
Taiwan … $362.9 million – down 4.7%, up 58.3% (2.8%)
France … $237.7 million – down 15.5%, up 4.1% (1.9%)
Netherlands … $224.1 million – down 4.5%, up 36.2% (1.7%)
Italy … $215.1 million – down 11%, up 26.9% (1.7%).

Biggest Plastics Sales Percentage Increases by Supplying Country

Among nations that exported over US$18 million in plastic materials to America last year, Saudi Arabia led with the highest percentage sales gains.

Saudi Arabia … US$29 million (up 140.2% from 2006, up 2,616% from 2003)
Russia … $18.9 million (up 45%, up 290.6%)
Indonesia … $138.4 million (up 23.9%, up 106.3%)
Sweden … $136.3 million (up 21.1%, up 37.7%)
Spain … $99.4 million (up 15.7%, up 63.7%)
Brazil … $148.6 million (up 11.6%, up 153.5%)
Colombia … $84.8 million (up 10.2%, up 203.4%)
Austria … $62.4 million (up 10.1%, up 33.7%)
Finland … $29.5 million (up 7.6%, down 6.9%)
Switzerland … $143.4 million (up 4.1%, up 100.7%).

References

This article presents independent calculations and insights based on data drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau – Foreign Trade Statistics.

The copyright of the article US Plastics Imports and Exports in 2007 in Import/Export is owned by Daniel Workman. Permission to republish US Plastics Imports and Exports in 2007 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.