MOSCOW (MRC) -- North American chemical rail traffic continues to recover from the effects of COVID-19. During the week ended 5 December, volume totaled 49,537 carloads, up 8.6% year-over-year (YOY), according to data released on 9 December by the Association of American Railroads (AAR). On a four-week basis, volume was up 6.4% from 2019, versus 4.6% during the period ending 28 November, reported Chemweek.
For the year to date, chemical railcar traffic in North America was down 3.0% from 2019 and 5.1% from 2018, versus shortfalls of 3.3% and 5.4%, respectively, for the year through 28 November.
Chemical railcar traffic in the US contributed 36,294 carloads to the weekly total, up 12.5% YOY and up 26.8% from the previous week. For the year to date, US chemical railcar traffic is down 3.8%.
Canadian chemical rail traffic totaled 12,249 carloads, down 2.4% YOY and down 1.5% from the previous week. For the year to date, Canadian chemical railcar traffic is down 1.0%.
Chemical railcar traffic in Mexico totaled 994 carloads, a YOY increase of 23.3% and a sequential increase of 6.4%. For the year to date, Mexican chemical railcar traffic is down 2.3%.
We remind that Russia"s output of chemical products rose in October 2020 by 7.2% year on year. At the same time, production of basic chemicals grew in the first ten months of 2020 by 6.3% 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-October output. October production of polymers in primary form grew to 857,000 tonnes from 852,000 tonnes in September. Overall output of polymers in primary form totalled 8,340,000 tonnes over the stated period, up by 17% year on year.
We also remind that Russia"s output of products from polymers grew in October 2020 by 6.3% year on year.
However, this figure increased by 1.5% year on year in the first ten months of 2020. According to the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, October production of unreinforced and non-combined films rose to 124,000 tonnes from 117,600 tonnes a month earlier. Output of films products grew in January-October 2020 by 8.5% year on year to 1 104,900 tonnes.
MRC