PC imports to Russia grew almost by 2 times in Jan-Sep 2019

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of PC granules to Russia (excluding shipments from Belarus) rose in the first three quarters of 2019 almost by 2 times year on year to 14,200 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

Imports of material into the country were at 7,400 tonnes in January-September 2018.

Extrusion grade PC accounted for 59% (8,370 tonnes) of the total shipments to the Russian Federation. Covestro (with the share of 61%) and Sabic Innovative Plastics (28%) were the main import suppliers of PC granules.

Last month, 2,800 tonnes of PC granules were imported into the country, which is the maximum level since the beginning of the year. Imports were 1,600 tonnes in September 2019.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) to the Ukrainian market rose in the first nine months of 2019 by 31% year on year, according to MRC's DataScope report.

Thus, imports of material into Ukraine totalled 4,100 tonnes over the stated period. This figure was at 3,200 tonnes in January-September 2018.

September ABS imports into the country were 570 tonnes versus 580 tonnes a month earlier and 320 tonnes in September 2018.

South Korea is the largest ABS supplier into the region. South Korean material accounted for 51% (2,100 tonnes) of the total shipments in January-September 2019, compared to 70% (2,200 tonnes) a year earlier, with LG Chem's shipments being at 1,400 tonnes and Lotte's imports - at 570 tonnes.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of expandable polystyrene (EPS) to the Ukrainian market remained in the first nine months of 2019 at the last year's level, totalling 27,300 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

Russian material accounted for 49% (13,500 tonnes) of the total shipments in the first three quarters of 2019, compared to 60% (16,300 tonnes) a year earlier. Chinese EPS shipments reached 38% (10,400 tonnes) over the stated period, compared to 29% (7,900 tonnes) in January-May 2018.

September EPS imports into Ukraine were 3,900 tonnes versus 3,400 tonnes a month earlier and 3,800 tonnes in September 2018.

The share of Russian material dropped to 46% (1,800 tonnes) last month from 50% (1,700 tonnes) a month earlier. The share of Chinese shipments rose to 38% (1,480 tonnes) in September from 26% (870 tonnes) in August.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of polyethylene (PE) into Belarus grew by 2.2% year on year in the first eight months of 2019, reaching 87,400 tonnes. Only high density polyethylene (HDPE) accounted for the increase in shipments, according to MRC's DataScope report.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics of Belarus, PE imports to Belarus rose slightly in August 2019 to 12,300 tonnes from 12,100 tonnes a month earlier. Overall PE imports totalled 87,400 tonnes in January-August 2019, compared to 85,500 tonnes a year earlier. Demand for linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) subsided significantly, whereas demand for imported HDPE increased.

The structure of PE imports to Belarus by grades looked the following way over the stated period.

August 2019 total low density polyethylene (LDPE) imports dropped to 3,300 tonnes from 3,600 tonnes a month earlier, local companies reduced their purchasing in Russia. Overall imports of this PE grade into Belarus totalled 26,800 tonnes in the first eight months of 2019, which virtually corresponded to the last year's figure.

August HDPE imports were 7,200 tonnes, compared to 7,400 tonnes a month earlier. Local companies reduced their purchasing of film grade PE in Ukraine. Thus, HDPE imports totalled about 44,700 tonnes in January-August 2019, up by 21.3% year on year.

Overall LLDPE imports reached 15,800 tonnes in January-August 2019, whereas this figure was 21,900 tonnes a year earlier.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- PetroChina Guangdong Petrochemical Company has selected Honeywell UOP to build the world's largest single-train paraxylene unit at its new integrated petrochemical complex in Jieyang, Guangdong province, reported S&P Global with reference to Honeywell's statement Thursday.

The new light desorbent parex aromatics complex will be able to produce 2.6 million mt/year of PX, using sulfolane, isomar, tatoray and olefin removal processes.

The Chinese major will also use heavy oil processing technology from Honeywell UOP with an annual crude processing capacity of 20 million mt/year.

Other units include a 3.7 million mt/year hydrocracking unit as well as two continuous catalytic reforming platforming process units, or reformers, each with the capacity of 3 million mt/year, the statement said.

Trial operations at the refining complex are expected to start in October 2021, while trial operation at the petrochemical units will begin two months later.

The complex also includes a 1.2 million mt/year naphtha cracker and high density and low density polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE), polypropylene (PP), styrene monomer (SM) and butadiene.

As MRC wrote before, in August 2019, W. R. Grace & Co., the leading independent supplier of polyolefin catalyst technology and polypropylene (PP) process technology, licensed its UNIPOL PP Process Technology to PetroChina Guangdong Petrochemical Company Limited. Located in Jieyang, Guangdong province, China, the new facility is slated to be completed in 2023 and will produce 500 KTA of PP. This will be the largest single-line UNIPOL PP unit in China and will produce homopolymer, random copolymer, and impact copolymer resins.

PX is a feedstock for the production of purified terephthalic acid (PTA). PTA is used to produce polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which, in its turn, is used in the manufacturing of plastic bottles, films, packaging containers, in the textile and food industries.

According to MRC's DataScope report, Chinese bottle grade PET deliveries to Russia increased 34% in the first eight months of 2019 to 95,600 tonnes. China accounted for 90% of the total imports, compared to 85% a year earlier.
August imports of material from China decreased by 41% to 7,600 tonnes from 12,800 tonnes in July. Jiangsu Sanfangxiang, Yisheng, Wankai and Sinopec were the leading Chinese suppliersof material to the Russian market.

PetroChina Company Limited, is a Chinese oil and gas company and is the listed arm of state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation, headquartered in Dongcheng District, Beijing. It is China's biggest oil producer.
MRC