MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of high density polyethylene (HDPE) into Kazakhstan decreased over the first ten months of 2015 by 6% year on year and totalled 65,600 tonnes, reported MRC analysts.
The October HDPE imports to Kazakhstan dropped to 2,800 tonnes from 4,000 tonnes a month earlier. Lower shipments were caused by a major reduction in export quotas of Russian producers, as well as by the devaluation of the national currency, which had significantly increased the cost of material, despite the fact that prices of finished products remained unchanged. The overall HDPE imports totalled 65,600 tonnes from January to October 2015 versus 69,700 tonnes over the same period a year earlier. Demand for polyethylene (PE) subsided in all consumption sectors.
The HDPE consumption structure by processing sectors looked as follows over the stated period: pipe grade PE accounted for over 80%. According to the Statistics Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan, production of plastic pipes and fittings dropped by 0.4% over the first ten months of 2015 to 98,300 tonnes.
The film grade sector was the second largest consumer sector, its share was about 10%. According to official statistics, there were produced more than 9,400 tonnes of only sacks and bags from PE over the first ten months of the year, up by 22.5% year on year.
Russian HDPE producers still occupied the key role in the local market in the geography of supplies. Their share was about 65% in the total imports over the stated period. Producers from South Korea and Uzbekistan shared the second and third places in PE shipments to the local market.
MRC