MOSCOW (MRC) -- The overall imports of high density polyethylene (HDPE) to Ukraine decreased over the first nine months of 2015 by 7% year on year and totallled 68,300 tonnes. Only the sector of film grade HDPE showed positive results, according to MRC DataScope report.
September HDPE imports to Ukraine rose to 8,100 tonnes versus 7,600 tonnes a month earlier because of higher imports of injection moulding HDPE. The overall HDPE imports dropped to 68,300 tonnes from January to September 2015 from 73,300 tonnes a year earlier. Polyethylene (PE) for extrusion blow molding accounted for the greatest fall in demand, whereas the film grade HDPE segment, on the contrary, showed a positive growth.
The supply structure by PE processing sectors looks the following way over the stated period.
The last month's imports of film grade HDPE to the Ukrainian market dropped to 3,700 tonnes from 4,300 tonnes in August because of Russian producers' export quotas. The overall imports of film grade PE increased to 33,400 tonnes over the first nine months of the year, up by 6% year on year.
September imports of injection moulding HDPE to Ukraine rose to 1,600 tonnes from 1,100 tonnes due to active PE purchasing of local producers of caps for PET containers. Demand for this PE grade from local converters subsided by 5% from January to September 2015 and totalled 12,700 tonnes.
The last month's imports of HDPE for extrusion blow molding were just over 1,300 tonnes versus 1,100 tonnes in August. Imports of HDPE for extrusion blow molding to Ukraine totalled about 10,000 tonnes over the stated period, down by 28% year on year.
September imports of pipe grade HDPE (excluding natural HDPE grades) rose to 1,300 tonnes versus 1,000 tonnes a month earlier because of an increase in shipments from Europe. Imports of this PE grade to the Ukrainian market fell by 16% over the first nine months of 2015 to 10,000 tonnes.
HDPE imports to other consumption sectors totalled 2,200 tonnes from January to September 2015 versus 2,600 tonnes a year earlier.
MRC