MOSCOW (MRC) -- Exports of polystyrene (PS) from Russia in the first quarter of 2014 almost doubled year on year and totalled 22,000 tonnes, according to MRC ScanPlast.
Such a major growth in exports was caused by the increased PS production this year. High impact polystyrene (HIPS) grades accounted for the most significant increase in exports. The overall HIPS exports totalled 12,200 tonnes over the first three months of the year, while this figure was 4,800 tonnes over the same period a year earlier. Russian plants most increased HIPS shipments to the foreign markets in March. Last month's HIPS exports rose by 1.2 tonnes from February to about 5,200 tonnes, despite reduced shipments to Ukraine. Exports were substantially increased to such countries, as Turkey, Egypt, Belarus and Lithuania.
Kazakhstan and Egypt demonstated positive dynamics in consumption of Russian general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) in the first quarter of 2014. Shipments to Ukraine remained at the last year's level. The overall exports of Russian GPPS rose in the first quarter of the year by 1.6 times to more than 4,000 tonnes.
Export shipments of expandable polystyrene (EPS) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) showed a downward trend. ABS exports fell by 84% because of a growth in domestic consumption and totalled 147 tonnes.
EPS exports dropped by 6% because of the political events in Ukraine (Ukraine accounted for the lion's share of Russian EPS exports) and transport unavalability in April. EPS exports totalled 3,100 tonnes in the first quarter of 2014.
MRC