U.S. exports of ethane and ethane-based petrochemicals rose 135% from 2014 to 2023

U.S. exports of ethane and ethane-based petrochemicals reached an all-time high of 21.6 MMt in 2023, up 135% since the U.S. began exporting ethane in 2014 and 17% more than in 2022, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The rapid expansion of U.S. ethane and ethane-based petrochemical exports has been fueled by the growth in domestic ethane production, which has increased with the country’s natural gas production and the buildout of export and production infrastructure.

Ethane is a natural gas liquid that’s primarily extracted from raw natural gas during processing. It’s mainly used as a feedstock for ethylene production, one of the most important building blocks in the petrochemical industry. Ethylene is a gas used to produce a wide range of products, including plastics, resins, and synthetic rubber.

All elements of the ethane value chain, are produced in, consumed in, and exported from the United States, including ethane, ethylene, polyethylene, and other ethylene derivatives. We publish data on U.S. ethane production, exports, and product supplied (deliveries to domestic consumers); the U.S. Census Bureau publishes export data for ethane and ethane-derived products.

The volume of exports of U.S. ethane, ethylene, and various ethylene derivatives is affected by:

• U.S. demand
• U.S. production capacity and production costs
• Importing countries’ downstream processing capacity
• Availability of infrastructure necessary to move these products, which in some cases may require special handling such as cryogenic refrigeration

U.S. ethane exports. The U.S. started exporting ethane in 2014 via pipeline to petrochemical plants in Canada. In 2016, the United States began exporting ethane to countries in Europe from marine export terminals. U.S. ethane export capacity has increased since 2016 with the completion of two new pipelines and three more marine export terminals—Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania; Morgan’s Point, Texas; and Nederland, Texas. In addition, the number of destination countries continued to grow along with the fleet of specialty built tankers. 

U.S. ethane exports increased to a record high of 3.0 MMmt in 2023, up 12% from 2022. In 2023, U.S. ethane was mostly exported to China, which accounted for 45% (1.4 MMmt) of U.S. ethane exports, followed by India (16%), Canada (14%), Norway (9%), and the United Kingdom (7%).

U.S. ethane exports to China increased fastest between 2022 and 2023, rising 35% last year. China’s Satellite Petrochemical has begun ethylene production at two new ethane crackers since 2021, which has increased domestic ethane demand in China. Ethane exports to Norway rose the second fastest, rising 32% to 288,000 metric tons in 2023. Other importers of U.S. ethane include Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and Sweden.

Ethane’s high ethylene yields and cost advantages over naphtha in ethylene production have driven export volumes of ethane higher since 2014. Most petrochemical crackers have some flexibility in switching between ethane and naphtha as a feedstock, depending on the relative profitability of each feedstock. In the United States, cracking ethane to produce ethylene has historically generated higher profit margins compared with the margins from cracking naphtha, the most common feedstock in Western Europe and East Asia. Global petrochemical manufacturers looking to secure low-cost ethane feedstock to produce ethylene are developing new petrochemical crackers and associated infrastructure.

U.S. ethylene-derivative exports. After ethylene is processed by a polymerization reactor or another production unit, petrochemical manufacturers can develop intermediate products such as:

• Low-density polyethylene (LDPE): a thermoplastic used for more flexible plastic products such as dispensing bottles, plastic bags, and trays
• High-density polyethylene (HDPE): a thermoplastic used for more rigid plastic products such as piping, water gallon jugs, cutting boards, and motor oil jugs
• Ethylene alpha olefins: used for products such as flexible packaging, molding, and car applications

The United States exported ethylene derivatives to over 100 nations in 2023. Unlike ethane and ethylene, which require cryogenic cooling to turn them from a gas to a liquid, ethylene derivatives do not require special handling and can be exported or imported through any port or overland route capable of handling containerized traffic.

Total U.S. ethylene-derivative exports grew 20% to 16.9 MMt from 2022 to 2023, led by a 69% increase (2.2 MMt) in exports to Asia. U.S. exports to Canada fell by 10% to 1.5 MMt; exports to Mexico grew 3% to 2.4 MMt in 2023. Until 2017, North American destinations, particularly Canada and Mexico, accounted for the largest share of U.S. polyethylene and other ethylene-derivative exports.

Canada and Mexico do not impose tariffs on exports of U.S. ethane-derived chemicals because of reciprocal free-trade agreements. These countries also benefit from proximity and being able to import these products over land at lower cost compared with waterborne imports. However, exports to overseas destinations have also grown since 2017, with the exception of 2021 when the global pandemic led to lower demand.

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