MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall polyethylene (PE) imports into Belarus decreased in the first ten months of 2018 by 11.3% year on year, reaching 91,600 tonnes. At the same time, local companies reduced purchasing of exclusively linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), according to MRC's DataScope report.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics of Belarus, October 2018 PE imports to Belarus grew to 8,500 tonnes from 7,300 tonnes a month earlier. Local companies increased their purchasing of low density polyethylene (LDPE) in Russia and high density polyethylene (HDPE) in Saudi Arabia. Overall PE imports totalled 91,600 tonnes in January-October 2018, compared to 103,000 tonnes a year earlier. Demand for LLDPE subsided significantly, whereas demand for HDPE increased.
The structure of PE imports to Belarus by grades looked the following way over the stated period.
October 2018 total LLDPE imports rose to 3,000 tonnes from 2,700 tonnes a month earlier, local companies increased their purchases in Russia on the back of the shutdown for maintenance at the local producer. Overall imports of this PE grade into Belarus totalled 31,500 tonnes in January-October 2018, which virtually corresponded to the last year's figure.
October HDPE imports were about 5,000 tonnes, compared to 4,200 tonnes a month earlier. Local companies increased their purchasing of PE in Saudi Arabia. Thus, overall HDPE imports totalled 46,100 tonnes in the first teb months of 2018, up by 10.4% year on year.
Overall LLDPE imports reached 13,200 tonnes over the stated period, whereas this figure was 30,200 tonnes a year earlier.
MRC