GPPS and HIPS imports to Russian market up by 4% in Jan-March 2020

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS) to Russia rose in the first quarter of 2020 by 4% year on year to 11,700 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

This figure was at 11,300 tonnes in January-March 2019.


At the same time, last month's GPPS and HIPS imports to the Russian market dropped slightly to 3,600 tonnes from 3,800 tonnes a month earlier. Imports of material into the country were 5,400 tonnes in March 2019.

GPPS imports to Russia grew in January-March 2020 by 15% year on year, totalling 7,700 tonnes. Russian companies reduced their imports of material by 37% last month: from 3,400 tonnes in March 2019 to 2,200 tonnes, imports were 2,600 tonnes a month earlier.

March HIPS imports were 1,420 tonnes versus 1,980 tonnes a year earlier and 1,160 tonnes in February 2020. Imports of material dropped in the first quarter of 2020 by 13% year on year to 4,000 tonnes.

European material of Styrolution and Versalis accounted for about 90% of HIPS shipments and 86% of GPPS deliveries.

MRC

ABS imports to Belarus down by 3% in Jan-Feb 2020

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) to the Belarusian market dropped in the first two months of 2020 by 3% year on year to 897 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

This figure was at 927 tonnes in January-February 2019.

February ABS imports to Belarus decreased by 21% year on year. Thus, imports of material into the country were 467 tonnes over the stated period versus 590 tonnes in February 2019. Imports were at 430 tonnes in January 2020.


South Korea, Russia and Belgium are the main countries-importers of ABS to Belarus.

Imports of Korean material to the Belarusian market fell in January-February 2020 by 18% year on year: to 151 tonnes from 185 tonnes a year earlier. The share of ABS imports from South Korea in the total shipments to the country decreased in January-February 2020 to 17% from 20% a year earlier.

February 2020 shipments of Korean ABS into the Republic of Belarus were 115 tonnes versus 36 tonnes in January, whereas imports of material were 130 tonnes in February 2019.


Deliveries of Russian material went down in the first two months of 2020 by 33% year on year: from 333 tonnes to 223 tonnes. The share of Russian companies' ABS in the overall imports to the country fell in January-February 2020 to 25% from 36% a year earlier. Shipments of Russian material to Belarus were 116 tonnes in February 2020 versus 107 tonnes a month earlier, whereas imports of Russian material were 246 tonnes in February 2019.

Imports of material from Belgium increased in the first two months of 2020 by 37% year on year: from 290 tonnes to 396 tonnes. However, February ABS imports from Belgium remained at the level of January, totalling 198 tonnes.

MRC

Ningbo Liwan New Material shut PTA plant Ningbo after explosion

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Ningbo Liwan New Material Co Ltd has experienced pipeline explosion which lead to emergency shutdown at its purified terephthalic acid (PTA) plant, reported CommoPlast with reference to market sources.

Thus, this plant was taken off-stream in the evening, on 30 April, 2020.

Based in Ningbo, China, the plant has a PTA production capacity of 700,000 tons/year.

The restart schedule could not be ascertained.

PTA is used to produce polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is used in the manufacturing of plastic bottles, films, packaging containers, in the textile and food industries.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, March estimated PET consumption in Russia was 65,3700 tonnes, up by 1% year on year. Russia's estimated PET consumption decreased in January-March 2020 by 3% year on year to 175,170 tonnes.
MRC

COVID-19 - News digest as of 06.05.2020

1. State seeks to declare coronavirus an 'act of God' to help oil producers

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Oklahoma’s governor has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to declare the coronavirus pandemic an “act of God,” a step to help oil-producing states contend with a crude glut that caused futures prices to close below USD0 last week for the first time, said Reuters. “Over-production of oil continues to threaten the economy,” Governor J. Kevin Stitt said in a letter to Trump that Stitt posted on Twitter late on Saturday.


MRC

Tianjin Bohai delays restart PDH plant in China unitl mid-May

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Tianjin Bohai Chemical is expected to restart its propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant in H1 May 2020, reported S&P Global.

The company unexpectedly shut down this plant on 22 April, 2020, and initially planned to resume its operations in late April.

Located in Tianjin, China, the PDH plant has a propylene capacity of 600,000 mt/year.

As MRC informed before, Tianjin Bohai Chemical last restarted its PDH plant in late March, 2020. Previously, in early February, the company decided to postpone the restart of its PDH plant by another 19 days to February 29 due to sluggish demand for propylene. This came after the facility, located in northeastern China, had delayed the restart of its 600,000 mt/year propylene plant to February 10, from February 6, extending the Lunar New Year holidays in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Tianjin Bohai uses 720,000 mt/year of propane when at full capacity.

Propylene is the main feedstock for the production of polypropylene (PP).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, PP shipments to the Russian market was 267,630 tonnes in January-March 2020, down 20% year on year. Homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers accounted for the main decrease in imports.

Tianjin Bohai is a state owned enterprise, with over 100 subsidiaries and 35,000 employees. It has joint venture relationships with a number of foreign partners, including: LG Chem, Solvay, Akzo Nobel, Clariant, Veolia, Air Liquide and Vopak.
MRC