MOSCOW (MRC) - Imports of high density polyethylene (HDPE) to Kazakhstan increased to 62,800 tonnes in the first nine months of the year, up 3% compared with the same time a year earlier, as per MRC analysts.
September HDPE imports in Kazakhstan decreased to 4,000 tonnes, compared with 6,900 tonnes in August. The decrease in supply resulted from the severe reduction of export quotas from Russian producers and the August devaluation of the national currency, which has significantly increased the cost of the feedstock despite the fact that the prices of finished products remained unchanged. Total HDPE imports into the country grew to 62,800 tonnes in January - September 2015, compared with 61,000 tonnes year on year. The main increase in foreign supplies of polyethylene traditionally occurred for the local pipe producers.
Structure of HDPE consumption over the period was as follows: more than 85% from the total imports occurred for the producers of pipe PE.
According to the Statistics Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan, production of plastic pipes and fittings, rose 2.1% to 87,600 tonnes in the first nine months of this year.
The second largest consumer sector was the film sector, with the share of about 10% from the total HDPE consumption over the reported period. According to official statistics, production of bags made from PE reached more than 8,400 tonnes in nine months of the year, up 25% year on year.
The main suppliers of HDPE to the local market remained Russian HDPE producers. Their share in total deliveries for the period slightly exceeded 67%. The second and third place in PE deliveries into the local market took producers from South Korea and Uzbekistan. It is also worth noting that in the last few months, Iranian pipe HDPE entered the local market (August deliveries amounted to about 250 tonnes, September imports grew to 1,250 tonnes).
MRC