Lyondell reinstates Houston refinery union president

MOSCOW (MRC) -- LyondellBasell Industries reinstated the president of the local United Steelworkers union (USW) representing hourly employees at the company’s Houston refinery, according to a statement from the local union, reported Reuters.

A Lyondell spokeswoman did not reply to a request for comment.

USW Local 13-227 President Lance Spurlock was suspended on Oct. 9 after a refinery supervisor told the company Spurlock used unethical and inappropriate language during a dispute over assigning an untrained union member to operate a crane.

Spurlock’s reinstatement follows a protest of union members outside the 263,776 barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery on Oct. 10. Further protests were planned, but were canceled after the reinstatement, according to the statement.

Spurlock and a union member present during the dispute with the supervisor both denied that Spurlock used an expletive in talking to the supervisor, USW Staff Representative Marcos Velez said on Oct. 10.

As MRC informed previously, in September 2019, LyondellBasell sarted up a new, fifth production line at its polypropylene (PP) compounding plant in Knapsack, Germany capable of producing 25 kt/yr. With this, capacity of the Knapsack facility is over 200 kt/yr, making the site "the world’s largest polypropylene compounding facility".

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, the estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 796,120 tonnes in January-July 2019, up by 11% year on year. Shipments of PP block copolymer and homopolymer PP increased.

LyondellBasell is one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world. Driven by its 13,000 employees around the globe, LyondellBasell produces materials and products that are key to advancing solutions to modern challenges like enhancing food safety through lightweight and flexible packaging, protecting the purity of water supplies through stronger and more versatile pipes, and improving the safety, comfort and fuel efficiency of many of the cars and trucks on the road. LyondellBasell sells products into approximately 100 countries and is the world's largest licensor of polyolefin technologies.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS) from Iran to Russia rose in the first nine months of 2019 by 98% year on year to 5,500 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

GPPS and HIPS imports from Iran totalled 2,800 tonnes in January-September 2018.

Producers Artan Petro and Petropaak with the share of 61% and 37%, respectively, accounted for the bulk of shipments from Iran.

At present, Iran is the third largest country supplying polystyrene (PS) to Russia after Belgium and South Korea. Thus, the share of Iranian material was 13% in the first three quarters of 2019, whereas that of Belgium was 38% and of South Korean - 21%.

September PS shipments from Iran to the Russian market increased by six-fold to 390 tonnes from 70 tonnes in September 2018. Imports from Iran were 920 tonnes in August 2019.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of expandable polystyrene (EPS) to the Russian market grew in the first three quarters of 2019 by 42% year on year to 16,000 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

This figure was at 11,300 tonnes in January-September 2018.

The Finnish producer Styrochem's material accounted for 33% of the total EPS imports, the Chinese company Loyal with the share of 21% occupied the second position.

September EPS imports to Russia rose by 52% year on year to 2,200 tonnes from 1,500 tonnes a year earlier.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) to the Russian market fell in the first nine months of 2019 by 2% year on year to 24,500 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

This figure was at 25,000 tonnes in January-September 2018.

South Korean company LG Chem accounted for about 38% of the total ABS imports. Styrolution and Trinseo shipped the bulk of European ABS. They accounted for 13% and 12%, respectively, in the total shipments.

September ABS imports to Russia decreased by 20% year on year to 2,600 tonnes from 3,200 tonnes in September 2018. Imports of material into the country were at 3,600 tonnes in August 2019.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of unmixed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into Belarus grew in the first eight months of 2019 by 12% year on year to 25,800 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

According to the Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus, local converters reduced their purchasing of PVC in August 2019 after a surge in demand in June-July, overall imports totalled 3,000 tonnes versus 3,400 tonnes in July.

Thus, imports of unmixed PVC reached 25,800 tonnes in January-August 2019, compared to 23,100 tonnes a year earlier, with local windows producers accounting for a decrease in demand.

Russian producers with the share of about 85% of the Belarusian market were the key suppliers of resin to Belarus over the stated period. Producers from Ukraine and Germany with the share of 9% and 4%, respectively, were the second and third largest suppliers.

MRC