MOSCOW (MRC) -- Import supplies of pipe PE to the Russian market have been increasing steadily over the last two months. In May pipe PE import made about 9,400 tonnes. The year-to-date import grew by 10%, as per MRC analysts .
In May Russian companies increased import of pipe HDPE up to 9,400 tonnes, while in April this index was about 8,300 tonnes. In total, year-to-date imports of pipe PE to the Russian market slightly exceeded 34,000 tonnes, 10% up year-on-year.
Conversely, PE pipes makers claim that the current year is not that good and that the demand for the finished goods has decreased. The cold winter delayed the season of construction activities for more than a month. But the main reason is the absence of public investments in infrastructure. The fair share of Russian pipes was used exactly for construction of infrastructural facilities.
The growth of pipe PE imports to Russia was largely caused by the reduction of Russian makers’ output. This year’s output of the coloured PE100 by the domestic plants has increased by half (since February Nizhnekamskneftekhim has been producing coloured PE100 consistently).
In the meantime the output of PE80 reduced twice. One of the reasons is a shutdown of Stavrolen (Lukoil group).
The decrease in production volumes of pipe PE in Russia (down 14% from last year) was one of the reasons of growth in imports, as per MRC analysts.
A low demand for pipe HDPE in the local market has limited the price rise since the beginning of the year.
The prices of the coloured PE100 reached the average level of Rb67,000/tonne, including VAT, FCA Kazan. Uncoloured PE100 is offered on average at Rb65,500/tonne, including VAT, FCA Kazan and Nizhnekamsk.
MRC