NKL EPS raw material exports reach a record 3,145 tonnes in 2025
Seven years of export figures, from the 2021 COVID-19 dip to a new high.
NKL shipped 3,145 tonnes of EPS raw material to overseas customers in 2025. That is the highest annual volume in the company's raw material business, and about 49% more than the 2,117 tonnes shipped in 2024.
Seven years of exports
| Year | EPS exported (tonnes) |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 1,162 |
| 2020 | 1,799 |
| 2021 | 790.5 |
| 2022 | 1,658 |
| 2023 | 2,134 |
| 2024 | 2,117 |
| 2025 | 3,145 |
Volumes fell in 2021, when many of our customers had to close their plants during COVID-19. As those plants restarted, orders recovered in 2022 and passed the 2020 level in 2023.
Who we ship to
NKL now loads more than 120 containers of EPS raw material a year. Customers include EPS manufacturers in New Zealand, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Panama, Malaysia, the Maldives, Poland, Romania, Albania, Moldova, Kenya, South Africa and Ukraine.
They use our general purpose, flame retardant, graphite and cup grade EPS to make building insulation, ICF blocks, foundation pods, sandwich panels, fruit and fish boxes, cups and many other moulded products. You can see some of them on our applications page.
How we ship
Most of our exports travel in 750 kg and 850 kg woven jumbo bags. Customers who prefer smaller units order 25 kg multi-wall paper bags on pallets. EPS raw material is shipped as dangerous goods, and each shipment is booked and declared according to the product's SDS and the shipping line's requirements.