MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of bottle grade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in Ukraine increased by 4% year on year to 35,500 tonnes in Q1 from 33,700 tonnes a year earlier, according to MRC's DataScope report.
Last month, imports amounted to 13,100 tonnes, 40% more than the previous month. External supplies of material were at the level of 15,700 tonnes in March last year. The volume of supplies of bottle grade PET from China to Ukraine over the three months of the year fell almost four times: from 26,500 tonnes in January-March 2020 to 6,700 tonnes.
Nevertheless, the supply of Chinese PET chips to the Ukrainian market last month quadrupled and amounted to 2,900 tonnes against 700 tonnes a month earlier, compared to March last year, imports decreased by 76%. The share of imports from China in the total volume amounted to 22% in March against 8% a month earlier and 37% in March 2019.
In the first quarter, the share of Chinese material decreased from 79% in the first three months of last year to 19%. The key suppliers of injection moulding Chinese PET chips to the Ukrainian market were producers Dragon, China Resources Chemicals and Yisheng Petrochemical.
At the same time, import of injection moulding PET chips from Lithuania grew three and a half times in the three months of this year and amounted to 22,000 tonnes. This figure was at 6,100 tonnes in January- March 2019.
Last month, the volume of foreign deliveries from Lithuania to Ukraine decreased by 4% compared to February to 7,200 tonnes against 7,500 tonnes. In February of the previous year, shipments of PET chips were 2,800 tonnes.
The volume of Lithuanian imports to the country in the total supply volume increased to 63% in he first quarter against 18% in January - March 2019. The main supplier of Lithuanian material is the manufacturer Neo Group (21,900 tonnes). The main buyers of Lithuanian bottled PET were Coca-Cola Beverages Ukraine Limited and Retal.
MRC