Global polyethylene market to reach $ 164 bn in 2018

The global demand for polyethylene resins - HDPE, LLDPE, and LDPE – is expected to rise 4 percent per year to 99.6 million metric tonnes (MMT) in 2018, valued at $164 billion from 81.78 MMT in 2013, according to the Freedonia Group’s latest report. The Asia/Pacific region will continue to be the largest and fastest growing polyethylene market through 2018, fueled by strong growth in China, which alone accounted for nearly one-quarter of global demand in 2013.
 
“India and Vietnam will also be among the world’s most rapidly expanding markets. However, advances in most emerging Asian countries will rise at a slower pace than during the 2008-2013 period. On the other hand, North America will see a significant improvement in polyethylene demand, while the markets in Western Europe and Japan will rebound from recent declines,” said the Freedonia report.
 
Gains will match overall world economic growth, fueled by an acceleration in consumer spending and manufacturing activity. Polyethylene will continue to be the most widely used plastic resin in the world, benefiting from its versatility, easy processability, low cost, and recyclability.
 
The development of ethylene feedstock from new sources such as shale gas, coal, and biobased materials will also give polyethylene a price or sustainability advantage relative to other plastic resins. Moreover, continually improving polymerisation catalyst technologies will enhance the performance, customisation, and yield of polyethylene resins. HDPE is the most widely used of the three polyethylene resins, accounting for just under half of total demand in 2013.
 
Analyst Kent Furst noted, however, that further increases in polyethylene demand will be limited by a number of factors. “Polyethylene is a highly commoditised and mature product, and large volume new applications are unlikely to emerge in the foreseeable future. Additionally, polyethylene (like all plastics) is perceived negatively by many environmentally-minded consumers, and major polyethylene applications such as plastic bags have increasingly become subject to regulations and bans,” he added.