Imports of PVC to Kazakhstan decreased by 5% in the first quarter

MOSCOW (MRC) - Imports of unmixed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into Kazakhstan dropped to about 9,700 tonnes in January-March 2018, down 5% compared with the same time a year earlier, according to MRC analysts.
There was a slight increase in demand for PVC in March from local companies. March imports of unmixed PVC amounted to 3,200 tonnes against 3,300 tonnes a month earlier. Thus, overall imports of resin to Kazakhstan totalled 9,700 tonnes in January-March 2018, compared to 10,200 tonnes a year earlier.

Due to the geographical position, the main suppliers of PVC to Kazakhstan were Chinese producers, with the share of about 92% of the local market over the stated period. The second largest supplier of PVC was Russia, during the period under review, Russian PVC supplies did not exceed 800 tonnes.
MRC

March PE imports to Kazakhstan were 10,100 tonnes versus 10,500 tonnes a month earlier, local companies significantly raised their purchasing of low density polyethylene (LDPE) in Russia, whereas purchases of other PE grades decreased. Overall PE imports totalled 31,200 tonnes in January-March 2018, compared to 26,000 tonnes a year earlier. HDPE and LLDPE shipments increased, whereas demand for LDPE subsided.

The structure of PE imports by grades looked the following way over the stated period.

March HDPE imports to Kazakhstan dropped to 8,100 tonnes from 8,400 a month earlier. Local companies managed to raise their PE purchasing in Russia and Uzbekistan. Thus, overall HDPE imports exceeded 24,600 tonnes in the first three months of 2018, up by 33% year on year.

March LDPE purchases by local companies grew to 1,800 tonnes from 1,100 tonnes in February, local companies increased their purchasing of shrinkable film LDPE in Russia. Overall LDPE imports to Kazakhstan were 4,700 tonnes over the stated period, down by 20% year on year.

Purchasing of LLDPE by local companies was 1,900 tonnes in January-March 2018 versus 1,600 tonnes a year earlier.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- U.S. chemicals producer DowDuPont reported a higher-than-expected first-quarter profit on Thursday as increased prices for its products and demand for packaging, paint and other materials made up for a weak agriculture business, as per Cnbc.

The chemical producer, formed by the merger of Dow Chemical and DuPont last year, clocked up net sales of USD21.5 billion for the quarter, which the company said compared to what would have been net sales of USD20.5 billion if DowDuPont had been one company in the same quarter a year ago.

Adjusted earnings rose 7 percent to USD1.12 per share, ahead of analysts' average estimate of USD1.10, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

"The Materials Science and Specialty Products divisions delivered better-than-expected top- and bottom-line growth with higher prices and volume gains," Chief Executive Ed Breen said in a statement. "Their growth more than offset weather-related delays that are expected to shift a substantial portion of our agriculture earnings to the second quarter."

The chemical giant said overall sales volumes fell 2 percent, but prices rose 3 percent on a comparable basis.

The materials science unit, which makes chemicals that go into making everything from cosmetics to packaging material to brake fluids, saw sales rise 17 percent, on the back of an 8 percent rise in volumes.

Its specialty products unit, which makes products that go into making construction materials or the semiconductors and chips used in mobile phones, saw sales rise 11 percent. The two divisions offset a slide of 25 percent in the agriculture division.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Effective 1st June 2018, Marie-Jose Donsion is joining Arkema as Group Chief Financial Officer, replacing Thierry Lemonnier who is taking retirement, as per the company's press release.

Marie-Jose Donsion will also sit on the Executive Committee.

Marie-Jose Donsion is currently CFO and a member of the executive committee of Alstom. She previously held a number of operational finance posts at Alstom in France and around the world.

A French and Spanish national, she is a graduate of the ESCP Europe business school.

In November 2016, Marie-Jose Donsion joined Arkema’s Board of Directors and became Chairwoman of its Audit Committee.

Earlier MRC said Arkema announced a 37.2% year-on-year increase in net income in the first quarter of 2018.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- INVISTA’s technology and licensing group, INVISTA Performance Technologies (IPT), and Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Co.,Ltd. (Hengli) have reached an agreement to license INVISTA’s latest purified terephthalic acid (PTA) process technology for Hengli’s fourth PTA line, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Hengli’s first three PTA lines, the first of which began operation in 2012, also utilize INVISTA’s technology and have a combined capacity of 6.6 million metric tonnes per year. The fourth line will have a design capacity of 2.5 million metric tonnes per year and will be installed at Changxing Island, Liaoning Province of China.

Mike Pickens, IPT president, commented, "We are honored that Hengli selected our advanced, industry-leading P8 technology for their next PTA investment. We look forward to the continuation of our close relationship with Hengli chairman, Mr. Chen Jianhua, and his very capable team."

This is another significant milestone in the evolution of INVISTA’s PTA technology following 2017, which saw the successful start-up of both Oriental Petrochemical (Taiwan) Company Limited ’s third INVISTA PTA Line (capacity of 1.52 million metric tonnes per year) and the first P8 technology deployment with Jiaxing Petrochemical Co., Ltd (capacity of 2.2 million metric tonnes per year).

INVISTA’s latest industry-leading PTA technology is available as a license package from INVISTA Performance Technologies.

As MRC wrote before, in April 2017, LyondellBasell announced Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Chemical Co., Ltd. had selected LyondellBasell Hostalen ACP polyethylene (PE) process technology. The technology will be used for a 400 KTA high density polyethylene (HDPE) unit to be built in the Hengli Petrochemical Industrial Park (HPIP) on Changxing Island in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China.
MRC