MOSCOW (MRC) -- Chemical railcar traffic in North America held stable during the week ended 19 September, reported Chemweek with reference to data released by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Volume totaled 42,933 carloads, up 2.7% from the previous week and down 3.8% year over year (YOY). On a four-week basis, volume was down 3.4% from 2019 and 5.8% from 2018, improving over respective shortfalls of 3.8% and 6.6% recorded the previous week (chart). For the year to date, chemical railcar traffic in North America was down 4.5% from 2019 and 5.8% from 2018, equal to the previous week’s figures.
Chemical railcar traffic in the US contributed 29,931 carloads to the total, down 7.3% YOY and up 2.4% from the previous week. For the year to date, US chemical railcar traffic is down 5.0%.
Canadian chemical rail traffic totaled 12,136 carloads, up 6.1% YOY and up 4.4% from the previous week. For the year to date, Canadian chemical railcar traffic is down 3.1%.
Chemical railcar traffic in Mexico totaled 866 carloads, a YOY decrease of 6.7% and a sequential decrease of 8.4%. For the year to date, Mexican chemical railcar traffic is down 5.7%.
As MRC informed before, in early July, 2020, Dow agreed to sell the rail infrastructure assets and related equipment at six major sites in North America to Watco Companies (Pittsburg, Kansas), a transportation services company operating in North America and Australia. Dow expects the deal, which is slated to close in the fourth quarter, to yield over USD310 million in cash. Watco will provide Dow with rail services from the assets under a long-term agreement.
We remind that Dow Chemical restarted three polyethylene (PE) plants it shut in April on improving demand after widespread economic shocks in April and May, confirmed a company spokeswoman July 23.
As MRC wrote before, Russia"s output of chemical products rose in August 2020 by 5% year on year. At the same time, production of basic chemicals increased in the first eight months of 2020 by 5.3% year on year, according to Rosstat"s data. According to the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, polymers in primary form accounted for the greatest increase in the January-July output.
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's overall PE production totalled 1,712,400 tonnes in the first seven months of 2020, up by 58% year on year. Linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) accounted for the greatest increase in the output. At the same time, overall PP production in Russia increased in January-July 2020 by 24% year on year to 1,063,700 tonne. ZapSibNeftekhim accounted for the main increase in the output.
MRC