MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to Ukraine grew by 13.5% in January-September 2013. Supplies increased from China and Lithuania and dropped from South Korea, Pakistan, Belarus and the UAE, according to MRC DataScope.
The overall imports of PET chips to the Ukrainian domestic market totalled about 142,000 tonnes in January-September. Chinese grades accounted for 68% of the total imports (the share of Chinese grades was 48% in 2012). Overall, supplies from China grew by 60% in the first nine months of 2013 year on year and totalled 96,800 tonnes.
Imports of Lithuanian PET produced by Neo Group and Orion Global increased by 14% over the stated period to around 18,000 tonnes.
Producers from Pakistan, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Belarus have been losing their market shares rapidly. PET imports from these countries to Ukraine dropped by 93%, 60% , 78% and 61%, respectively, in January-September, 2013.
New grades of Indian PET (Arya AP0080 produced by "JBF RAK" and Aspet 20C produced by "South Asian Petrochem") also have entered the market this year. Their total imports exceeded 11,000 tonnes in the nine months of 2013.
In general, September turned out to be very difficult for the Ukrainian bottle PET converters. Cold rainy weather contributed to a fall in major producers and water bottlers' consumption of PET preforms. Purchases of chips in foreign markets have been cut amid rising stocks, so a slump in imports might be expected in October.
MRC