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THE I SR I SCRAP YEARBOOK
2016
INSTITUTE OF SCRAP RECYCLING INDUSTRIES, INC.
50
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 ($15 million). Given the large volume
of cross-Pacific trade flows, it should come as no surprise
Country
Volume
(metric tons)
Value (US$)
China
855,392
$313,285,840
Hong Kong
606,178
$226,882,816
Canada
242,246
$86,158,552
India
92,413
$57,741,875
Indonesia
48,019
$22,994,334
Taiwan
51,040
$17,606,336
Mexico
21,663
$15,893,337
Vietnam
44,875
$14,987,743
Korea
9,722
$10,039,794
Malaysia
34,853
$8,751,170
El Salvador
6,505
$5,985,919
Guatemala
3,047
$2,824,937
Ireland
83
$2,756,503
Australia
817
$2,523,010
Dominican Republic
2,726
$2,382,180
All Other:
23,548
$19,454,163
U.S. Plastic Scrap Exports by Major Destination in 2015
that the majority (~56 percent) of U.S. plastic scrap exports
departed from West Coast ports last year.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau/U.S. International Trade Commission