At present, the throughput of xylene in our country is 2.748 million t/a. The isomerised xylene is 1.622 million t/a, and the solvent xylene is 1.126 million t/a. Main manufacturers are Zhenhai Refining & Chemical Company Limited (593 000 t/a), Fushun Petrochemical Company (316 000 t/a), Jilin Petrochemical Company (204 000 t/a), Jinxi Petrochemical Company (20 000 t/a), Jinzhou Petrochemical Company (36 000 t/a), Lanzhou Petrochemical Company (198 000 t/a), Changlin Petrochemical Company (105 000 t/a), Guangzhou Petrochemical Company (53 000 t/a), Jiujiang Petrochemical Company (53 000 t/a), Luoyang Petrochemical Company (358 000 t/a), Maoming Petrochemical Company (99 000 t/a), Shijiazhuang Refining Factory (51 000 t/a), Beijing Yanshan Petrochemical Company (44 000 t/a), Daqing Petrochemical Company (70 000 t/a), Dushanzi Petrochemical Company (80 000 t/a), Urumchi Petrochemical Company (110 000 t/a) and Panjin Petrochemical Company (8 000 t/a).

    Our country is short of xylene supply and has become the biggest importer of solvent xylene all over the world. We imported 212 400 t xylene in 2000, 230 000 t in 2001, 271 300 t in 2002 and 497 700 t in 2003.

    The consumption structure of xylene in our country can be classified into paint, coatings, colorant, organic synthetic materials, pesticide, etc.

    Paint is the largest consumption department of xylene. As the development of automobile industry and household wiring industry, demand for paint especially for high-grade paint has increased to a large extent. Accordingly, demand for xylene increased, too.

    It is similar in colorant market. Because of the structure adjustment of textile industry, its output has increased obviously, which brought along the increase of xylene.

    Since our polyester industry develops quickly, we have to import large quantity of xylene, although our own output has enlarged a lot. It is estimated that we’ll produce 3.5 million tons in 2006 and will import 1.6 million tons. In 2010, we’ll import 2.5 million tons xylene.

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