North American PX trade: the changing landscape

2020 has been a challenging year for paraxylene (PX) markets. The deleterious effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with the large PX capacity expansions over past two years in Asia, have made a challenging situation for PX producers even more difficult. The hurdles facing the North American PX industry are reflected in the changing trade dynamics that have subsequently materialized, with the region’s net trade deficit nearly doubling since 2019, while import sources have increasingly diversified. This Insight explores the reasons for the changing trade dynamics.