China PP exports could reach 2.6m tonnes in 2024 as markets become ever-more complex

By John Richardson

SURE, the surge in container-freight rates might slow Chinese exports of polypropylene (PP) or at the very least narrow their geographic range. So could a rise in protectionism as we move towards a more de-globalised petrochemicals world.

But Thomas Cullen, chief analyst at Transport Intelligence, said on this week’s ICIS Think Tank podcast that global container capacity is growing by 20% per year. If the Houthi disruptions in the Red Sea were to come to an end...