US petrochemical producers benefit from low-cost ethane derived from shale gas, giving domestic ethylene crackers a significant cost advantage over naphtha-fed crackers common in Europe and Asia. Imports of ethylene and propylene derivatives are therefore most competitive when US cracker utilization is constrained by outages or when specific derivative products are not produced domestically in sufficient volume.

Certain aromatic petrochemicals sourced from China have been subject to Section 301 tariffs under the USTR's actions on Chinese goods. The applicability depends on the specific HTS subheading; importers should verify current Section 301 list coverage for each aromatic compound with a licensed customs broker, as product-specific exclusions and modifications have been issued over time.