2016Yearbook_Flipbook

2016

THE I SR I SCRAP YEARBOOK

Plastic Scrap Exports Global demand for plastic scrap is impacted by the relative prices of primary resins and plastic scrap, which in turn are influenced by the volatility in natural gas and crude oil markets, among other factors. By volume, plastic scrap has become one of the most important globally traded scrap commodities. According to figures from the United Nations Comtrade Database, more than 13.6 million tons of plastic scrap valued at nearly $5.4 billion were exported by all reporting countries in 2015. Of that total, the United States exported more than 2 million tons of plastic scrap last year, generating more than $810 million in export sales. Although the United States shipped plastic scrap to more than 90 countries around the world last year, China and Hong Kong together accounted for $540 million, or 67 percent of the total. Other major export destinations for U.S. plastic scrap last year included Canada ($86 million), India ($58 million), Indonesia ($23 million), Taiwan ($18 million), Mexico ($16 million), and Vietnam ($15 million). Given the large volume of cross-Pacific trade flows, it should come as no surprise

that the majority (~56 percent) of U.S. plastic scrap exports departed from West Coast ports last year.

U.S. Plastic Scrap Exports by Major Destination in 2015

Volume (metric tons)

Country

Value (US$)

China

855,392 606,178 242,246 92,413 48,019 51,040 21,663 44,875

$313,285,840 $226,882,816 $86,158,552 $57,741,875 $22,994,334 $17,606,336 $15,893,337 $14,987,743 $10,039,794

Hong Kong

Canada

India

Indonesia Taiwan Mexico Vietnam

Korea

9,722

Malaysia

34,853

$8,751,170 $5,985,919 $2,824,937 $2,756,503 $2,523,010 $2,382,180

El Salvador Guatemala

6,505 3,047

Ireland

83

Australia

817

Dominican Republic

2,726

All Other:

23,548

$19,454,163

Source: U.S. Census Bureau/U.S. International Trade Commission

50

INSTITUTE OF SCRAP RECYCLING INDUSTRIES, INC.