MOSCOW (MRC) - Russia's imports of polypropylene (PP) slightly exceeded 61,900 tonnes in first four months of this year, up 35% year on year, compared to the same period of 2017. Supply of all grades of PP increased, according to a MRC's DataScope report.
Russian companies decreased volumes PP imports in April, which reached 16,100 tonnes against 16,800 tonnes in March; shipments of homopolymer PP from Turkmenistan decreased. In general, PP imports into Russia exceeded 61,900 tonnes in January-April 2018, compared with 45,700 tonnes year on year. The import for all grades of propylene polymers increased, the greatest increase in supplies accounted on homopolymer PP.
Overall, the structure of PP imports by grades looked the following way over the stated period.
April imports of homopolymer PP decreased to 5,200 tonnes against 6,200 tonnes a month earlier, shipments of homopolymer PP raffia from Turkmenistan decreased. Overall imports of homopolymer PP reached 21,000 tonnes in the first four months of 2018, compared to 14,000 a year earlier.
April imports of PP block copolymers in Russia were about 4,900 tonnes against 4,300 tonnes in March. Local companies increased their purchasing of PP block copolymer for extrusion injection moulding in Europe. Imports of PP block copolymers into Russia rose to 16,200 tonnes in January-April 2018, compared to 13,600 tonnes a year earlier.
April imports of PP random copolymers were about 3,000 tonnes versus 2,500 tonnes a month earlier. Total imports of PP random copolymers in Russia were 10,800 tonnes in January - April 2018, compared with 8,700 tonnes year on year. The greatest increase in supply accounted for pipe propylene copolymers.
Imports of other propylene polymers for the reported period decreased to about 14,000 tonnes compared with 9,500 tonnes in the same time a year earlier.
MRC