MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) into Ukraine decreased over the first five months of 2015 by 23% year on year and totalled about 28,000 tonnes, according to MRC DataScope report.
Last month's SPVC imports to Ukraine were 4,100 tonnes versus 4,400 tonnes a month earlier because of weaker demand from the local window profiles and pipes producers. Imports of suspension reached 28,000 tonnes from January to May 2015, whereas last year the figure was 36,400 tonnes. Serious economic problems in the country, military operations in the east were the main reasons for such a significant reduction in demand for polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
Demand subsided from all consumption sectors, producers of shaped and linear articles accounted for the largest fall in demand. Demand for resin in this processing sector declined by two-fold compared to last year and totalled 19,700 tonnes over the first five months of 2015. Demand for suspension from producers of plasticized compositions dropped by 9% to 5,400 tonnes. Pipes producers reduced their purchasing by 19% to 1,800 tonnes.
The structure of PVC imports to Ukraine looks the following way over the stated period.
May SPVC imports from the USA rose slightly and exceeded 1,000 tonnes, while a month earlier, the figure did not exceed 500 tonnes. January and February accounted for the peak supply of North American, which exceeded 3,100 tonnes per month, when major local window profiles producers were actively building up inventories on the back of lower prices in the United States. The overall imports of North American PVC slumped to 8,400 tonnes over the first five months of 2015 from 20,700 tonnes a year earlier.
Last month's imports of European PVC to the Ukrainian market totalled 2,700 tonnes versus 3,300 tonnes in April because of lower shipments from Hungary and Poland. Imports of suspension from Europe rose to 14,700 tonnes over the said period versus 14,600 tonnes a year earlier.
May SPVC imports from Russia dropped to 300 tonnes from 564 tonnes a month earlier, partially because of the reduction in local producers' export quotas. The overall imports of Russian resin totalled 4,800 tonnes over the first five months of 2015, whereas the last year's figure was 260 tonnes.
MRC