Moscow (MRC) -- The first working week of the new year did not bring big changes in the Russian market of polyethylene. Price quotations stayed the same relatively with the last week of December, the only exception made pipe HDPE, according to MRC analysts.
The first working week of the new year gave no surprises for the Russian market of polyethylene. Price quotations of Russian polyethylene in the domestic market were left at rollover from the last week of December, the only exception made pipe HDPE.
Weak demand in the domestic market and sufficient supplies keep putting pressure on the prices of LDPE. Price offers of high-density polyethylene remained unchanged in comparison with the last week of December and by Wednesday they had been at Rb57.000-58.500/tonne, VAT, CPT Moscow, for the 158-LDPE, and Rb58.500-59.500/tonne, including VAT, CPT Moscow, for the 153-LDPE.
The accident at Stavrolene in mid-December resulted in a slight increase in prices of Russian HDPE, but by the end of the year the situation in the Russian market had stabilized on the back of weak demand. Traditional weak demand in the beginning of the year and suficient supplies continue to hold prices steady. By the middle of the week, the price offers of film HDPE had been at Rb63,300-64.500/tonne, VAT, CPT Moscow. By the beginning of next week, Kaazanorgsyntez and Nizhnekamskneftechem will have stopped the production of film polyethylene, however, this will not likely have caused any changes in the market by the end of the month due to the suficient supply of the material to the market.
Uncertainty about the terms of the resumption of production of blow molding HDPE in February by Kazanorgsyntez keeps prices at Rb65.000-66.500/tonne, VAT, CPT Moscow. In late December, Gazprom neftechem Salavat resumed the production of injection molding HDPE. By the middle of next week, Kazanorgsyntez will have resumed deliveries of injection molding PE to the domestic market.
The price growth of coloured pipe HDPE in January was not a surprise for the Russian market. The prices of pipe PE had been heard to grow since mid-December. From January, 10th the price of Russian black PE80 and PE100 had been increased by Rb1,000/tonne, ex VAT. The demand for pipe material is weak, due to seasonal factors. Quite a lot of companies have stopped their facilities on turnaround due to lack of demand for ready-made pipes. The price quotation of black PE100 were at Rb62.000-63.000/tonne, VAT, CPT Moscow.