According to the National Bureau of Statistics of Belarus, November 2017 PE imports to Belarus decreased to 9,100 tonnes from 10,300 tonnes a month earlier. Russian producers of high density polyethylene (HDPE) further reduced their shipments. Overall PE imports reached 112,400 tonnes in January-November 2017, compared to 118,100 tonnes a year earlier. Demand for low density polyethylene (LDPE) and HDPE increased, whereas linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) imports decreased.
The structure of PE imports to Belarus by grades looked the following way over the stated period.
November 2017 LDPE imports to Belarus grew to 3,600 tonnes from 3,200 tonnes a month earlier. Local companies slightly increased their PE purchasing in Russia. Overall imports of this PE grade to Belarus totalled 33,500 tonnes in January-November 2017, compared to 27,100 tonnes a year earlier.
November 2017 LLDPE imports were 1,400 tonnes versus 1,800 tonnes a month earlier, local companies reduced their purchasing of Middle Eastern butene grade PE. Thus, overall LLDPE imports to Belarus exceeded 33,100 tonnes in the first eleven months of 2017, whereas this figure was 49,300 tonnes a year earlier.
November HDPE imports fell to 4,000 tonnes from 5,300 tonnes a month earlier. Local companies had to reduce their PE purchasing from Russian producers because of export restrictions. Thus, HDPE imports totalled 45,800 tonnes in January-November 2017, up by 9.7% year on year.
MRC