Seaborne ethane flow concentration deepens at both ends
Global seaborne ethane imports averaged ~760kbd in July, of which China discharged ~560kbd, or 74% of the total. June was higher at ~76%, the highest monthly share in Vortexa’s 2016-2026 dataset. On the selling side, the US loaded ~99% of global seaborne ethane exports over January-July, at ~670kbd. The direction is not new, but the ...
Seaborne ethane flows have intensified at both ends of the trade, with China's share growing significantly. In July, China imported around 74% of global seaborne ethane, up from 58% a year earlier and 46% in 2022. The US remains the dominant exporter, accounting for 99% of global seaborne ethane exports from January to July. However, the split among US terminals has shifted, with four terminals handling all the exports.
The US flex terminals, which can switch between ethane and LPG, have seen a significant decrease in ethane loadings due to strong spot demand for LPG. On the importing side, China's seaborne ethane arrivals have surged, with Zhejiang Satellite's Lianyungang terminal taking the largest share at 45% of Chinese imports. Meanwhile, Wanhua's Yantai terminal has also seen a significant increase in arrivals, up from 35kbd in 2025 to 100kbd in 2026.
This growth is driven by new ethane cracker units coming online, providing buyers with feedstock flexibility. However, the trade is vulnerable to policy decisions in Washington or Beijing, as well as the Panama Canal, which has handled almost all the recent US-to-China ethane voyages.
Written by urgent.news from Hellenic Shipping News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.