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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Two-thirds (68%) of
Canadian business owners continue to feel the negative impacts of COVID-19, a
new study from CIBC finds, with more than half (57%) believing businesses in
their area are in crisis mode and 43% believing businesses are in recovery mode,
said Canplastics.
According
to the study, top concerns are a reduced demand for their products and services
(37%) and worries about the overall viability of operations (23%). Despite this,
the majority (75%) of business owners remain optimistic they will rebound once
the pandemic subsides.
�During these challenging times, Canadian
business owners have shown incredible resilience by staying focused on
fundamentals and being very nimble and creative,� said Laura Dottori-Attanasio,
group head, personal and business banking, CIBC, in a prepared statement. �With
so many feeling immediate pressures on revenues, we encourage owners to get
advice about their overall financial situation including cash flow management
and help managing debt levels."
Business owners have employed several
strategies to continue operating, CIBC noted: a third (30%) have increased their
virtual presence while a further 16% pivoted their business to operate
completely online. To support cash flow, 56% have used at least one government
program this year, and to limit costs, 35% are reducing operating expenses while
28% have cut employee hours. Half (52%) say they are counting on government
support to survive.
Close to a third (29%) expect it will take between a
year or two for things to get back to normal, with the majority (81%) agreeing
the uncertainty of the current environment remains the hardest aspect to
manage.
Other findings of the study include 72% of business owners say
their present stress level is much higher than it was prior to the pandemic; 57%
are looking to build the digital capabilities of their business; and 45% are
looking to reduce their debt levels, while 41% are seeking more credit to help
with operating capital and 40% are seeking advice to better manage cash
flow.
Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene
(PE) and polypropylene (PP).
According to MRC"s ScanPlast report,
Russia"s estimated PE consumption totalled 1,594,510 tonnes in the first nine
months of 2020, up by 1% year on year. Only high denstiy polyethylene (HDPE)
shipments increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market
reached 880,130 tonnes in the nine months of 2020 (calculated using the formula:
production minus exports plus imports, exluding producers" inventories as of 1
January, 2020). Supply increased exclusively of PP random copolymer. |
