PVC imports to Russia down by more than 3 times in Jan-Sept 2018, exports up by 29%

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) into Russia totalled 13,800 tonnes in January-September 2018, down by more than three times year on year. At the same time, Russian producers were forced to increase their exports by 29%, according to MRC"s DataScope report.

SPVC imports have reached a historical minimum for the past three months because of a number of factors. September SPVC imports fell to 344 tonnes from 794 tonnes a month earlier. Thus, overall imports of resin to Russia totalled 13,800 tonnes in the first nine months of 2018, compared to 42,400 tonnes a year earlier. At the same time, weaker demand for PVC from the domestic market over the past few years and high capacity utilisation at the existing production capacities forced Russian producers to ship resin for export more actively this year, export sales rose by slightly less than a third.

Chinese producers were the key foreign suppliers of resin, overall imports of acetylene PVC were 11,500 tonnes in the first nine months of 2018 versus 39,500 tonnes a year earlier.

SayanskKhimPlast, Russia"s second largest PVC producer, shut its production capacities for maintenance in July-August, and this factor led to  lower exports. But already since September some producers have begun to dynamically increase their exports due to weaker demand in the domestic market.

9,600 tonnes were shipped to foreign markets in September (excluding deliveries to the countries of the Customs Union) versus 5,000 tonnes a month earlier. 87,800 tonnes of SPVC were shipped for export in January-September 2018, compared to 68,100 tonnes a year earlier.

mrcplast.com