US polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sales and production rose in May as plants ramped up operating rates, while exports fell.
US PVC producers sold 1.43bn lbs of PVC in May, up by 0.6pc from a year earlier, according to American Chemistry Council (ACC) data compiled by Vault Consulting. Domestic sales climbed 6.8pc in the same period to 1.04bn lbs while estimated exports fell by 13pc to 396mn lbs.
Global customers have been hesitant in recent months to buy US cargoes as availability increased for lower-priced Chinese carbide-based PVC. Elevated freight costs also challenged spot exports, sources said.
US PVC production in May rose by 1.1pc from a year earlier to 1.48bn lbs, while US PVC plant operating rates climbed to 92pc of capacity, the highest since June 2025.
Operating rates above 90pc were supported by several plants returning to operations after maintenance concluded during the second quarter. Formosa's 650,000 metric tonne/yr PVC plant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, concluded a prolonged turnaround in late April.
