MOSCOW (MRC) -- The overall imports of polycarbonate (PC) chips to the Russian domestic market fell in 2013 by 21% from the previous year and totalled 45,000 tonnes, according to MRC DataScope.
At the moment, production of injection moulding goods for automotive industry and in electrical engineering, is the main sector of PC consumption in the Russian market. Overall, about 33,000 tonnes of injection moulding PC grades were imported to Russia in 2013, which accounted for 73% of the total imports. It should be noted that European material was the most poplular in this sector. Sabic, with its share of 71%, occupied the leading position among foreign producers last year. Consequently, Lexan 103R was the most popular grade in the market in 2013. About 15,000 tonnes of this grade entered the Russian market in 2013, which was 45% of the total imported injection moulding grades. The overall imports of injection moulding PC chips fell in 2013 by 22% from the previous year.
The sector of extrusion PC chips is the second largest sector. It reached 4,300 tonnes last year, accounting for almost 10% of all supplies to the national market. Production of cellular PC sheets and profiles for their installation is the main target market of processing of this material. The most popular producers in this segment were also Sabic and Bayer, with shares of 52% and 33%, respectively. Bayer's Makrolon ET3117 was the most popular grade in 2013. 1,600 tonnes of this grade arrived in the market last year, which accounted for 19% of the total imports of extrusion grades in 2013. Thus, European PC was the most popular imported material in the extrusion sector, as well as, in the injection moulding one. Such converters as Plastik Alliance, Carboglass, SafPlast preferred to use this material in their production. Imports of extrusion PC grades to the Russian market fell last year by 27% from 2012. However, this market has been constantly growing. A substantial part of the demand was met by the domestic producer - Kazanorgsintez.
The segment of blow moulding PC accounted for the remaining 17% of imports and totalled 3,300 tonnes. Bottles blowing (over 10 liters) is the main target market for this material in Russia. Unlike in the previous sectors, Asian producers occupied the leading position in this segment: Samyang (31%) and Mitsubishi (23%). Samyang's Trirex 3026 BL can be called the most popular imported blow moulding grade in Russia. It accounted for 31% of this segment's imports or more than 1,000 tonne. Imports of blow moulding material dropped in 2013 by 2% from the year earier. It should be mentioned that Kazanorgsintez's operated at full capacity in 2013 and its output exceeded 65,000 tonnes, while imports decreased. The plant produced injection moulding and extrusion grades, which were divided between export and domestic supplies, depending on market demand.
To date, the segment of extrusion PC grades is the most interesting for Russia, because it is connected with a considerable number of domestic converters - producers of cellular polycarbonate. The segment of the PC sheets and profiles has been constantly expanding not only in Russia, but also in the CIS countries. Therefore, products from Russian material may well take its niche there and compete with European material due to its lower cost.
MRC