NOVA Chemicals Corporation
HQ CA18% share
Canadian (Mubadala-owned) polyethylene producer; Joffre/Sarnia ethane crackers; major PE exporter to the US — incl. HDPE/MDPE grades for cable and pipe.
chemical · input
HDPE Cable Jacketing Compound
High-density polyethylene compounds formulated for outer cable sheathing, providing UV resistance, crush resistance, and low-temperature flexibility. LLDPE and MDPE are also used depending on burial or aerial installation requirements.
9
Source countries
5
Companies
1
Goods affected
0
Claims on record
What depends on it
Goods that need this input
1 essential American goods rely on hdpe cable jacketing compound somewhere upstream in their supply chain.
Where it comes from
Source countries
Share of global supply, by country.
| Country | Share of supply |
|---|---|
| CACanada | 85% |
| USUnited States | 28% |
| ATAustria | 22% |
| CNChina | 20% |
| SASaudi Arabia | 18% |
| DEGermany | 12% |
| MXMexico | 8% |
| KRSouth Korea (Republic of Korea) | 1% |
| SESweden | 1% |
Who makes it
Supplier companies
5 companies produce hdpe cable jacketing compound.
Borealis AG
HQ AT
Borealis AG (Vienna Austria; majority owned by OMV AG, the Austrian state-controlled energy company; ~€10B revenue) is Europe's leading specialty polyolefin producer and the dominant supplier of medical-grade and meltblown-grade PP resins for European hygiene and filtration markets. Borealis' Borflow series (HL504FB, HF955MO) are the most widely specified meltblown PP grades in Europe, with MFR of 800-1,500 g/10min and ISO 10993 biocompatibility certification for medical device applications. Borealis produces meltblown-grade PP at its Schwechat Austria site (adjacent to OMV's Schwechat refinery) and its Porvoo Finland site. Borealis' Borflow grades command premium pricing (15-30% over commodity PP) due to their medical certification, fiber consistency, and low extractables — making them preferred for N95 respirators and hospital filtration media. Borealis was majority-acquired by OMV to ~75% stake in 2020-2022 for €4.1B.
Dow Inc. (Packaging & Specialty Plastics)(DOW)
HQ US
One of the world's largest polyethylene producers; pioneered LLDPE (DOWLEX™) and metallocene PE (ELITE™, AFFINITY™); Packaging & Specialty Plastics segment is Dow's largest by revenue (~$23B of ~$45B total); major supplier of PE resins to Berry Global, Reynolds, and other bag converters.
Hanwha Solutions (Hanwha Chemical)(009830.KS)
HQ KR
World #2 EVA producer (~310,000 t capacity across Korea + IPC); EVA is a core footwear-foam and solar-encapsulant material.
LyondellBasell Industries N.V.(LYB)
HQ NL
LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (Rotterdam Netherlands; NYSE: LYB; ~$40B revenue; world's largest polyolefin producer by volume) produces meltblown-grade PP resins under its Moplen and Adflex brand families. LyondellBasell's Spheripol and Spherizone PP polymerization technologies enable production of specialty high-MFR grades with controlled molecular weight distribution for meltblown fiber production. LyondellBasell's Channelview TX, La Porte TX, and Rotterdam Netherlands PP plants are primary meltblown-grade production sites. LyondellBasell also produces metallocene-catalyzed PP grades (Metocene series) that compete with Ziegler-Natta-based meltblown resins by offering tighter molecular weight control. LyondellBasell holds an estimated 18-22% of global meltblown PP resin supply and is the most geographically diversified meltblown PP producer, with production across the US, Netherlands, Germany, and Italy.