JAPAN DATA: EDC exports fall 65% YOY in 2025 to five-year low

Japan's exports of ethylene dichloride dropped 65.1% year over year to 8,934.04 metric tons in 2025, reaching the lowest annual volume since 2020, when shipments totaled just 3,132.45 mt, according to the latest Japanese customs data.

China emerged as the top destination for Japan's EDC in 2025, absorbing 8,099.65 mt, or 90.7% of total exports. Thailand received 776.51 mt, while exports to the Philippines were negligible at 0.88 mt, the data showed.

Notably, shipments to South Korea were nil in 2025, compared with 13,340 mt in 2024, and exports to Taiwan declined 99.5% year over year to just 57 mt.

Conversely, Japan's EDC imports rose 41.4% year over year to 62,660.27 mt in 2025, customs data showed.

South Korea remained the top supplier, increasing 19.5% year over year to 35,869.99 mt, and accounting for 57.2% of Japan's total imports.

The US was the second-largest supplier to Japan, up 87.3% year over year at 26,780.29 mt, accounting for 42.7% of the total. China supplied a marginal 10 mt in 2025, according to the data.

On a monthly basis, December exports climbed to 5,024.20 mt, the highest monthly volume of the year, with 5,005.20 mt shipped to China and 19 mt to Taiwan, customs data showed.

Japan's EDC imports in December fell 43.7% from November but rose 30.8% year over year to 7,837.18 mt. The US was the largest supplier in December, though its shipments to Japan dropped 57.7% month over month to 5,883.51 mt.

South Korea was the only other exporter to Japan, sending 1,953.66 mt in December, following zero imports from South Korea in November, according to customs data.

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed CFR Far East Asia EDC at $210/mt and CFR Southeast Asia EDC at $220/mt on Feb. 5.