China's 25% tariffs on many products from the US – including HDPE – have resulted in a drastic drop in import volumes in September 2018. In that month, the polyolefins tonnage fell by 60% compared with the previous month, according to United States Census Bureau data. On 23 August 2018, Beijing imposed the 25% tariff on material that is "made in the USA" (see Plasteurope.com of 21.09.2018).

The downward trend had already begun in July 2018, mainly due to weaker domestic demand. As expected, exporters from other regions are also gaining shares in the Chinese import market. In particular, Saudi suppliers are offering material at attractive prices – see Plasteurope.com of 10.10.2018.

In the US, declining Chinese demand is causing inventories to swell. As a result, the US has been seeking alternative markets to sell to, including Europe. EU statistics show that US exports of HDPE to the EU rose again in September by almost 85% against the prior month.