EPS imports to Ukraine dropped by 8.5% in January-November 2013

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of expandable polystyrene (EPS) into Ukraine decreased in January-November 2013 by 8.5% year on year and totalled about 23,000 tonnes, according to MRC DataScope.

This year's falling imports were accompanied by converters' general decline in activity and lower EPS consumption on the back of reductions in construction rates in Ukraine. SIBUR-Khimprom is still the largest EPS supplier to the Ukrainian domestic market. The overall Russian EPS imports to Ukraine totalled 20,500 tonnes over the eleven month of the year.

The share of Russian EPS in total consumption of the material in Ukraine increased significantly, despite the overall cuts in shipments. EPS imports from Russia grew by 7,000 tonnes year on year, thereby substantially displacing the Chinese and European suppliers.

November EPS shipments failed to increase because of the lack of available quantities of material in Russia, despite strong demand in the domestic market. EPS imports to Ukraine fell in November by 66% from October to 1,700 tonnes. Falling imports were accompanied by an absence of Ukrainian material in the market because of an outage at Stirol, which led to a shortage of EPS in the Ukrainian market in November.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Exports of polycarbonate (PC) from Russia to foreign markets fell over the first eleven months of 2013 by 31% year on year. Exports reached 17,500 tonnes, according to MRC DataScope.
The overall exports of polycarbonate in January-November 2013 decreased year on year, despite a major growth rates in PC chips exports in November compared with October (52%) up to 3,6 tonnes.

Shipments of injection grades of PC to China are still a priority for Russian exports. These PC grades are used in the production of electrical engineering. This sector accounts for about 80% of the total exports.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of polycarbonate (PC) chips into Ukraine rose in January- November 2013 by 17% year on year to 4,000 tonnes, according to MRC DataScope.

The structure of PC imports consists of three main groups: injection moulding grades, blow moulding grades and extrusion grades. They accounted for 79%, 15% and 6%, respectively, in the total imports.

With regard to the supply dynamics of these groups, extrusion PC accounted for the highest growth rates over the reporting period, up by 52% year on year.
260 tonnes of this material were imported to the Ukrainian market over the eleven months of 2013.

Imports of injection moulding PC were 3,100 tonnes over the said period, up by 15%, while blow moulding grades accounted for the lowest positive dynamics, up by 12%. The overall imports of blow moulding grades to Ukraine totalled 578 tonnes in the eleven months of the year.

The Ukrainian PC market is entirely dependent on imports, since Ukraine does not produce this material. Eugene Co. and Radka Ukraine occupy the leading position among Ukrainian importers - 29% and 24% of the total imports, respectively.

mrcplast.com

MOSCOW (MRC) - Imports of polypropylene (PP) to Russia decreased by 23% in the first eleven months of 2013, compared with the same period last year to 196,200 tonnes, as per MRC DataScope report.

Russia's imports of PP decreased because of the launch of two new plants in Omsk and Tobolsk, with total capacity of 680,000 tonnes/year, which resulted in a significant growth in PP production volumes in Russia. Following October decrease, Russia's PP imports grew to 19,400 tonnes in November.

Structure of Russia's PP imports looked as follows. Imports of homopolymer PP increased to 9,600 tonnes in November, compared with 3,000 tonnes in October, helped by the resumption of supply of homopolymer PP from Turkmenistan. Total imports of homopolymer PP to Russia decreased to 77,000 tonnes in the first eleven months of the year, compared with 129,000 tonnes in the same period in 2012.

Russia's imports of PP block copolymer was about 4,800 tonnes in November, compared with 4,300 tonnes in October. Total imports of PP block copolymer to Russia increased 52,000 tonnes in the first eleven months of the year, from 50,500 tonnes year on year on the back of increased demand in the sector of injection moulding.

Imports of PP random copolymer dropped to 2,600 tonnes in November, from 3,900 tonnes in October. Total imports of PP random copolymer to Russia decreased to 35,300 tonnes from January to November of the current year, from because of an increase in domestic production of injection moulding and pipe copolymers.

Imports of other propylene polymers decreased to 2,400 tonnes in November, from 3,000 tonnes in October. Total supply of other propylene polymers to Russia was about 32,000 tonnes in the first eleven months of 2013, from 29,300 tonnes year on year.

As reported previously, On 11 February, Polyom of the Titan group launched a PP production plant with a capacity of 180,000 tonnes/year.
The company uses the technology of LyondellBasell. Tobolsk-Polymer (SIBUR group) started its 500,000 tonnes/year PP production in the test mode in late May, using the technology of company INEOS.


MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Total production of high density polyethylene (HDPE) to Russia increased by 42% in the eleven months of 2013, compared with the same period last year and was 918,200 tonnes. Stavrolen and Gazprom neftekhim Salavat showed the greatest increase in PP production over the reported period, as per MRC DataScope.

Structure of PP production looked as follows. Stavrolen increased its capacity utilisation of HDPE output by 15% in November to 27,500 tonnes, compared with October, when the plant stopped its capacities.

Total HDPE production by Stavrolen was about 280,700 tonnes in January - November of the current year. Gazprom neftekhim Salavat, on the contrary, reduced the HDPE production in November to 5,500 tonnes. The producer increased HDPE production to 64,700 tonnes in the eleven months of 2013, from 41,000 tonnes year on year.

Kazanorgsintez (subsidiary of Taif) loaded its capacities by 100% in November, having produced 45,000 tonnes. Total HDPE output at the company increased to 422,600 tonnes in the first eleven months of the year, from 401,300 tonnes year on year.

Nizhnekamskneftekhim (subsidiary of Taif) focused on the production of linear PE and HDPE for extrusion coating of large diameter steel pipes in October and November, focused on the production of LLDPE and HDPE for extrusion coating of large diameter steel pipes. Total production of HDPE by the producer exceeded 150,000 tonnes in the first eleven months of the year, compared to 156,000 tonnes year on year.


MRC