EU styrene imports in July fell 16% month on month to 53,628 mt, Eurostat data showed, reflecting reduced demand amid a seasonal slowdown in construction-driven EPS consumption.
The US remained the main exporter, supplying 41,850 mt.
The fall in imports, the bulk of which went into the ARA region, came despite an ongoing maintenance shutdown of the 550,000 mt/year Ellba styrene plant in the Netherlands.
"Downstream demand is very bad, worse than expected," a source said.
Total imports continued to outpace the EU's styrene exports, cementing the region's s position as a net importer.
Year-on-year figures showed imports rose 77%, with net imports up 66%.
On July 1, the styrene/benzene spread in Europe was $165/mt, down from $444/mt on the same day in 2013.
Styrene producers typically require a premium of $250-300/mt over benzene to make production economic.
The Eurostat data showed that in the first seven months of the year, import volumes rose 7.7% to 350,864 mt, mostly from the US, with 40,000 mt/month continuing to reach Europe despite a shuttered arbitrage and representing a continuation of contractual obligations.
Exports in July jumped 36% month on month to 20,125 mt, while the January-July cumulative total was little changed at 120,915 mt.
The main export destinations were Egypt (9,997 mt) and Turkey (4,599 mt).
Exports to Egypt were supported by increased feedstock styrene demand from E.Styrenics, an Egyptian polystyrene producer.
