Pipe PE prices remain abnormally low in the Russian market

MOSCOW (MRC) -- A weak demand and excess supply of pipe HDPE in the Russian market still determine quite a low level of PE prices. It is not excluded that in the nearest future, taking into account the events at Stavrolen, the price situation in the market will change, according to MRC analysts.

The accident at Stavrolen has already caused a rise in HDPE prices in the Russian market on average by Rb2,000-4,000/tonne, the only exception makes pipe polyethylene. Excess supply of both colored and uncoloured pipe polyethylene amid a low demand still keep prices at quite a high level.

This week Russian producers offered uncoloured PE100 (so-called matrix) in the range of Rb57,500-60,000/tonne, VAT, FCA. Black Russian PE100 is offered on average for Rb59,500-60,000/tonne, VAT, FCA Kazan.

A buying activity in the market is low. Many Russian producers of polyethylene pipes are in no hurry to replenish their inventories. Mostly this is due to a lack of orders and planned stops for a turnaround in January.


At the same time, some converters still replenish their inventories, despite the end of the year and the coming long New Year holidays. Companies are investing their ready assets in the feedstock in anticipation of rising prices, which, as they think, will happen in the nearest future, due to the force majeure at Stavrolen.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- In November, imports of PET granulate to Ukraine rose by 8.5 thousand tonnes and made about 13 thousand tonnes, the import volumes increased by three compared with the previous month, according to MRC DataScope.

One of the fundamental factors of supplies growth is converters' readiness for a strong demand from bottlers in December, resulted from the pre-New Year activity in the consumers' market. The fairly low price of granulate in foreign market also influenced it.

The biggest share in the supply belongs to Chinese producers of PET. In November, imports from China to Ukraine increased by 3.5 thousand tonnes and made about 6 thousand tonnes. It is worth noticing that last month there were no deliveries of PET from the UAE, the second-largest supplier in Ukraine.

At the same time, there were resumed shipments from South Korea. At the month end, the imports of South Korean material made 3.7 thousand tonnes.

The supplied volume of Belarusian material also shows a positive growth. In the first half of the year PET by Mogilevchemvolokno production almost was not supplied to Ukraine. However, the situation changed in the second half of the year. Since August 2011, PET imports of the Belarusian plant had shown monthly growth. In November, the company supplied 1.1 thousand tonnes of granulate, which was almost twice the volume imported in October.

MRC

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cabot Corp. is closing its Hong Kong masterbatch plant on March 31, 2012, and moving the production to its new facility in Tianjin, company officials announced today. Starting in April 2012, all of Cabot's masterbatch product made in China will be produced in Tianjin.

Cabot's Tianjin masterbatch plant, which opened in September 2011, has a current capacity of 45KMT, which is large enough to supply the current demand of the plastics industry in Asia, as well as its expected near-term future growth.

Cabot designed its Tianjin site to be the premier black masterbatch and carbon black manufacturing facility in Asia. The masterbatch and carbon black operations are fully integrated, which creates strong competitive advantages through integrated economics, increased scale, and world-class process technology.

Cabot produces masterbatch products for a broad range of uses in the plastics industry, such as key infrastructure and automotive applications. Typical end products include plastic moldings, pipes, cable jacketing, film, and much more. Cabot's masterbatch is a performance material comprised of a polymer and carbon black mixture for use in a wide range of thermoplastic applications.

MRC

(CHEMMONITOR) -- Jiangsu Hengli Chemical Fibre reduced the operating rates at its facility in Jiangsu (China) to 50%.

The Chinese company arrived at the decision to operate its unit at lower rates in view of seasonal slowdown of market activity.

The plant was brought on stream at the beginning of this month, and it manufactures polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle chip. Its nominal capacity totals 400,000 tonnes per annum.

Meanwhile, Jiangsu Hengli does not intend to boost its PET bottle chip output in the short term since the market sentiment remains weak.

MRC

In addition, persistently weak domestic markets in Europe and northeast Asia placed pressure on TDI producers in these regions to offload their products in the import-dependent Middle East and Africa markets, they added.

⌠TDI prices have been on the downtrend for the past few months, while upstream toluene prices are still holding quite firm. As a result, our margins have fallen so much that we are bleeding. In October and November, we have no choice but to reduce operating rates, a European TDI maker said.
European and northeast Asian producers are operating TDI plants at an average of 80-90% of capacity, with some running at minimum rates in October and November, sources close to the producers said.

Another global major based in Germany and a European maker offered January lots at USD2,550/tonne CFR Middle East/Africa, market players said. A South Korean producer offered January shipments at USD2,450/tonne CFR GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council)/North Africa, while another South Korean maker has no material to offer because of the ongoing shutdown at its TDI facilities. A Japanese maker raised its January offers by USD100-150/tonne to USD2,550/tonne CFR GCC/Africa, after concluding business at USD2,400-2,450/tonne last week.

MRC