MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of unmixed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to Belarus rose by 10.6% over the first eleven months of 2013. Such a serious surge in demand was caused by the growth in the domestic consumption and exports of finished products made from PVC, according to MRC analysts.
Stronger demand for finished products made from PVC in the domestic and foreign markets has allowed Belarusian converters to increase consumption. PVC imports to the local market rose to 40,700 tonnes from January to November 2013 from 36,800 tonnes over the same period in 2012.
The main PVC suppliers to Belarus were producers from Germany and Poland last year. PVC imports from Russia and Ukraine also increased significantly in the last two months.
Exports of shaped and linear articles made from PVC grew by 3.6% over the stated period and totalled about 25,100 tonnes.
MRC
MOSCOW (MRC) -- The overall imports of polyolefins - polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) - to Belarus dropped by 5% over the first eleven months of 2013, according to MRC analysts.
After the September peak, PE and PP imports into Belarus began to decline gradually. Seasonal factors and national currency devaluation only added to lower imports. The overall PE and PP imports to Belarus decreased to 97,700 tonnes and 74,000 tonnes, respectively, down by 3% and 7% from 2012.
The structure of imports over the said period looks the following way.
Imports of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) fell in November 2013 to 3,800 tonnes from 4,300 tonnes in October. LDPE and LLDPE imports into Belarus totalled 41,400 tonnes over the first eleven months of 2013, down by 24.5% from 2012. Producers of Russia and Saudi Arabia are the main suppliers of these PE grades.
Imports of high density polyethylene (HDPE) dropped in November 2013 to 3,900 tonnes from 4,700 tonnes in October. The overall HDPE imports rose to 56,300 tonnes from January to November 2013, up by 13.6% from 2012.
Imports of homopolymer of propylene (homopolymer PP) and copolymers of propylene to Belarus totalled in November 2013 5,200 tonnes and 1,600 tonnes, respectively. Imports of these products decreased over the stated period to 54,100 tonnes and 19,900 tonnes, respectively, whereas in 2012 these figures were 58,900 tonnes and 20,800 tonnes, respectively.
MRC
MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Board of Directors of Exxon Mobil Corporation has declared a cash dividend of 63 cents per share on the Common Stock, payable on March 10, 2014 to shareholders of record of Common Stock at the close of business on February 10, 2014, as per the company's statement.
This first quarter dividend is at the same level as the dividend paid in the fourth quarter of 2013.
Through its dividends, the corporation has shared its success with its shareholders for more than 100 years and has increased its annual dividend payment to shareholders for 31 consecutive years.
As MRC informed earlier, ExxonMobil has recently officially opened its multi-billion dollar Singapore chemical plant expansion on Jurong Island, to serve growth markets in the Asia-Pacific region. The expansion included a second 1-million-t/y steam cracker, two 650,000-t/y polyethylene plants, a 450,000-t/y polypropylene plant, a 300,000-t/y specialty elastomers unit, an aromatics extraction facility to produce 340,000 t/y of benzene, and a 125,000-t/y oxo-alcohol expansion.
ExxonMobil is the largest non-government owned company in the energy industry and produces about 3% of the world's oil and about 2% of the world's energy.
MRC