U.S. Scrap Plastic Exports Recorded Substantial Decline

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The U.S. exports of plastic waste and scrap tumbled by over 41% to total $196.44 million through the first eight months of 2019. The country had exported $334.90 million worth material during the corresponding period last year. The export of the material totalled $21.97 million by value for the month of Aug ’19, said U.S. Census Bureau data.

The primary destination of U.S. plastic scrap exports was Canada. The exports to that country rose marginally by 4.69% year-on-year to total $44.89 million. Canada accounted for almost 23% of the total U.S. shipments during this period. The U.S. exports to India and Hong Kong totalled $30.23 million and $20.16 million respectively. The other two major importers of plastic waste and scrap from the U.S. were Mexico ($13.6 million) and Taiwan ($11.60 million).

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The imports too recorded decline through August this year. Valued at $150.97 million, the imports were down by 6.75% from $161.9 million through August last year.

The leading supplier of scrap plastic to the U.S. was Mexico. The shipments from the neighbouring country totalled $54.74 million, representing more than 36% of total imports by the U.S. in Jan-Aug ‘19. The other main suppliers were Canada ($32.57 million), Honduras ($8.50 million), Germany ($6.80 million) and Japan ($5.88 million). Nearly 72% of all plastic waste and scrap imported by the U.S. in the first eight months of 2019 were shipped from the above top five markets.