Ukraine reduces imports of Nizhnekamskneftekhim GPPS and HIPS in ten months 2019 by 25%

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of Nizhnekamskneftekhim's high impact polystyrene (HIPS) and general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) to Ukraine decreased in January-October 2019 by 25% year on year to 10,400 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

This figure was at 13,900 tonnes in the first ten months of 2018.
Nizhnekamskneftekhim's material accounted for 51% in the overall structure of imports to the Ukrainian market for the first ten months of 2019, compared to 67% in January-October 2018.

However, October imports of material rose by 45% from September 2019 to 1,200 tonnes versus 800 tonnes. This figure was also at 1,200 tonnes in October 2018.

Overall imports of this polystyrene grade into the country decreased in the fist ten months of 2019 by 2% year on year to 20,500 tonnes from 20,800 tonnes a year earlier.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of expandable polystyrene (EPS) into Ukraine dropped in the first ten months of 2019 by 1% year on year, totalling 30,100 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

This figure was 30,500 tonnes in January-October 2018.

Russian material accounted for 49% (15,000 tonnes) of the total shipments in the first ten months of 2019, compared to 58% (17,800 tonnes) a year earlier. Chinese EPS shipments reached 38% (11,300 tonnes) over the stated period, compared to 28% (8,700 tonnes) in January-October 2018.

October EPS imports into Ukraine were 2,900 tonnes versus 3,900 tonnes a month earlier and 3,400 tonnes in October 2018.

The share of Russian material grew to 54% (1,500 tonnes) last month from 46% (1,800 tonnes) a month earlier. The share of Chinese shipments dropped to 33% (900 tonnes) in October from 38% (1,500 tonnes) in September.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Ineos Styrolution's general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) imports into Russia increased in the first ten months of 2019 by 2 times year on year to 10,600 tonnes, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

This figure was 4,900 tonnes in January-October 2018.

Ineos Styrolution is the largest GPPS supplier to Russia.

European material accounted for 45% of the total GPPS shipments over the stated period versus 30% in the first ten months of 2018.

However, October Styrolution's GPPS shipments to the Russian market decreased by more than 2 times to 700 tonnes from 1,500 tonnes a month earlier, the company's imports into the country were 700 tonnes in October 2018.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) to the Russian market fell in the first ten months of 2019 by 2% year on year to 28,000 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

This figure was 28,600 tonnes in January-October 2018.

South Korean company LG Chem accounted for about 39% of the total ABS imports. Styrolution and Trinseo shipped the bulk of European ABS. They accounted for 12% each in the total shipments.

October ABS imports to Russia dropped by 4% year on year to 3,500 tonnes from 3,600 tonnes in October 2018. Imports of material into the country were 2,600 tonnes in September 2019.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Brazilian polyolefins producer Braskem named the current chairman of the board, Roberto Simoes, as the company's new CEO, replacing Fernando Musa, reported Chemweek.

Musa will remain CEO through 31 December to help Simoes transition to the new role, Braskem said. Simoes's appointment will become effective on 1 January.

Simoes had earlier been CEO of Ocyan from 2014 to 2019. Before that, he was CEO of Odebrecht Defesa e Tecnologia from 2010-2012. He had been executive vice president of Braskem from 2004-2008.

As CEO of Braskem, Simoes will maintain the competitiveness of all of the company's operations, the company said. He will also increase the company's feedstock flexibility and geographic diversity, steps that are already being pursued by the company.

Musa had headed Braskem's US operations before becoming the company's CEO back in 2016.

As MRC informed before, Braskem is no longer pursuing a petrochemical project, which would have included an ethane cracker, in West Virginia. And the company is seeking to sell the land that would have housed the cracker. The project, announced in 2013, had been on Braskem's back burner for several years.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,589,580 tonnes in the first nine months of 2019, up by 7% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. The estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 976,790 tonnes in January-September 2019, up by 4% year on year. Shipments of PP block copolymer and homopolymer PP increased.

Braskem S.A. produces petrochemicals and generates electricity. The Company produces ethylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, xylenes, butadiene, butene, isoprene, dicyclopentediene, MTBE, caprolactam, ammonium sulfate, cyclohexene, polyethylene theraphtalat, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
MRC