Entering April, the export prices of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) have remained unchanged in the US market while liquidity in the polymer sector continued to dampen. As per the sources, the domestic EVA market is seeing limited trade activity with no substantial offers emerging in early April. The motionless market dynamics and a lack of price development have generated a sense of uncertainty in the marketplace coupled with geopolitical and trade-related tensions.

The US EVA market has seen sustained consumer demand in the past year due to its diversified application. However, since the start of this year, the market participants have reported a slowdown in trade activities, especially in the EVA export markets. The end of the first quarter marked a considerable slowdown, with limited consumption inquiries from overseas buyers and a decline in EVA volumes being exported, signifying broader uncertainty in the worldwide polymer market.

The key reason that is impacting the EVA market is the rising tension across international trade and tariffs. The previous administration continued some of the protective trade methods initiated during Trump’s first tenure. However, most recently, President Trump announced new tariffs on Canadian imports, consisting of rolling back the exemption provided under the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement), which took effect on April 2, 2025. All these changes have already raised concerns among the traders, as fears of retaliatory measures from the involved countries rise.

In the previous month, the European Commission announced its decision to apply retaliatory tariffs on around 26 billion Euros worth of goods, including polymers and plastics. These actions, targeting a broad range of US industrial and agricultural goods, are being introduced in two phases. The first phase began on April 1, 2025, with full enforcement planned for April 13, 2025. Moreover, the Commission has also restored earlier suspended tariffs as of April 1. The uncertainty encircling these trade regulations has contributed to a weaker demand outlook from European buyers, despite ongoing supply disturbances in their domestic EVA market since March 2025.

Looking ahead, the ChemAnalyst database anticipates that, EVA prices in the U.S. are expected to remain stable in the short term, as producers may avoid volatile price fluctuations in the midst of geopolitical pressures and hesitant consumer demand. However, as the situation regarding tariffs progresses, and with the arrival of seasonal demand in the downstream footwear and packaging sector, a moderate increase in EVA prices could be seen by mid to late Q2.