A better market balance and good demand support the trend.
PMMA imports in 2020 continue to increase in Europe, more than doubling since 2018. The good demand for protective sheets is likely an important factor supporting this trend.
The recent Eurostat data shows that polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) imports from January to July 2020 were higher than in 2019 and 2018.
The higher imports suggest that despite a vibrant Chinese economy, the European market remains competitive and with good availability.
Buyers have seen supply increase compared to a couple of years ago when production issues and good demand caused severe tightness.
And given current market feedback concerning competitive offers from Asia in October, the data will probably continue to show this trend for the rest of 2020.
With a more balanced global market, imports have increased during the past three years.
Moreover, because of the increase in demand for protective sheets during the pandemic, PMMA demand has been holding up well.
Europe is a net importer of PMMA, with South Korea as the main trading partner.
