MOSCOW (MRC) -- Kazanorgsyntez announced the increase in contract prices of coloured PE100 by Rb1,500/tonne. However, despite the beginning of March, many Russian converters are in no hurry to form additional stock inventories of pipe PE, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.
Due to the cold February the demand for pipe PE was weak in the Russian market last month. There was a slight revival in the market in early March, mostly resulted from the traditional spate of feedstock purchases in the beginning of each month. The supply of PE was also tight in the market.
Kazanorgsyntez announced an increase in contract price of black PE100 by Rb1,500/tonne, excluding VAT from 5 th of March. The company plans to suspend temporarily the production of black PE100 in the second half of the month. Spot quotations of PE2NT11-9 at the end of last week were at Rb66,000-67,000/tonne, VAT, FCA Kazan.
Despite such a significant rise in prices of the Russian Black PE100, many converters do not hurry to form additional stock inventories. A losing February, the absence of significant orders for finished pipe in March, as well as the presence of uncoloured PE100 (so-called uncoloured matrix) hold back many market participants. Companies are not ready to buy a more expensive colored material.
The March prices in the foreign markets grew more significantly. European producers have raised export prices of black PE100 for delivery in the current month to EUR1,400-1,500/tonne, FCA. Asian producers offer coloured PE100 for March on average for USD1,650-1,680/tonne, FOB.