对于美国石蜡生产商而言，2007年是一个低靡的一年。从2006年12月开始，产出水平低靡是近20年所没有的。2007年蜡产量预计在13亿磅，较2006年的15.7亿磅急剧下降了17%。
    自从1999年美国产量为1.984亿磅到现在，产量下降了34.5%。产量的下降是由于雪佛龙（Chevron里士满），霍尼韦尔（Honeywell Emlenton）,科莱美（Calumet Rouseville）,壳牌（麋鹿公园），壳牌（Motiva 阿瑟港）,太阳石油（Tabycca）等从石蜡产业中撤出或者改用进口产品替代国内生产。
    在2007年里，Flying J 公司停止了在北部沿湖城的石蜡生产。并且该公司在洛基山山脉地区（PADD4）的生产也下降了8200万磅。此外，占全国总产量75%的墨西哥湾地区（PADD3）产量也下降了7500万磅。
除了国内产量的下降，消费者包括中间商，代理商以及终端客户必须要与石蜡进口的下降作斗争。总体而言，从各国进口的石蜡下降了1.25亿磅或者下降了18%。从中国进口的石蜡缩减占到了总进口量减少量的一半。但是，很明显的是进口全精炼石蜡中67%是从中国进口的。
    预计2008年石蜡产量国内产量会有所增加。这是以炼油厂的石蜡库存量下降到正常水平的假设为前提的。当时，在2005年末2006年初石蜡短缺时，炼油厂的石蜡库存已经建立起来。另外，科莱美（Calumet）已经开始在施里夫港（Shreveport）建设产能为1.05亿磅石蜡的炼油厂。
    The year 2007 was a rather dismal year for domestic producers of petroleum waxes. Starting in December of 2006, output plummented to levels not seen in more than two decades. Wax production in 2007 is estimated at 1,300 million pounds, a steep drop of 17 percent from the 1,570 million pounds produced in 2006.
    Since 1999, when domestic producers turned out 1,984 million pounds, production is down by 34.5 percent. The drop was due in large part to the closure of facilitics by companies such as Chevron(Richmond), Honeywell(Emlenton), Calumet(Rouseville), Shell(Dear Park), Shell (Motiva-Port Arthur) and Sun (Yabucca, P.R) as they withdrew from the wax business or replaced domestic wax production with imports.
    During 2007, Flying J ceased production of petroleum waxes at North Salt Lake City and production this year in PAD4 where Flying J is located is down 82 million pounds. In addition, output in PAD 3 where 75 percent of domestic wax was produced this year, is down by 75 million pounds.
    In addition to declining domestic production, consumers such as resellers, brokers and end users, also had to contend with a fall off in petroleum wax imports. Overall, wax imports from all sources were down slightly more than 125 million pounds, or 18 percent. China accounted for approximately half of the volume decline in imports. Of significance, however, is that Chinese imports account for 67 percent of imports of fully refined paraffins.
    It is forecast that domestic wax production should show improvement in 2008. This is premised on the assumption that refiner’s inventories of wax have been reduced to normal levels. Inventories are estimated to have been built up in the shortage days of late 2005-early 2006. In addition, Calumet has started up expansion of its refinery at Shreveport which includes capacity for and additional 105 million pounds of petroleum wax.
    PETROLEUM WAX PRODUCTION, EXPORTS, IMPORTS AND SUPPLY 1991-2007

Million pounds