Styrene exports from Japan to plummet in 2016, Asahi plant closes

摘要

IHS Chemical expects styrene exports from Japan to decline sharply in 2016 because several styrene plants in the country have closed during the past five years, including an Asahi Kasei unit this past February. "Styrene production capacity in Japan has decreased by about 1 million m.t. in the last five years, from 3.07 million m.t. in 2011 to 2.07 million m.t. in 2016. We expect styrene exports from Japan to decline by about 44% in 2016 compared with 2015," says Brian Lee, direc-tor/aromatics, Asia at IHS Chemical. Styrene exports from Japan are expected to fall from 1.01 million m.t. in 2015 to about 570,000 m.t. in 2016, IHS Chemical says. "The styrene capacity closures were not only in response to lower margins but were also in line with Japan's refinery and cracker rationalization," Lee says.