TPI Polene plans maintenance at EVA/LDPE swing plant

MOSCOW (MRC) -- TPI Polene is likely to taken an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)/low density polyethylene (LDPE) swing plant off-stream, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Thailand informed that the company has planned to shut the plant in March 2017 and is expected to remain under maintenance for around 30 days. The exact date of the shutdown could not be ascertained.

Located in Map Ta Phut, Rayong province in Thailand, the plant has a production capacity of 150,000 mt/year.

As MRC wrote before, in June 2015, TPI Polene shut down its EVA/LDPE plant in Thailand for a turnaround.

TPI Polene Public Company Limited is Thailand's third largest cement manufacturer. It also manufactures petrochemicals, including low density polyethylene and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA).
MRC

TiO2 imports to Russia grew by 23% in January 2017

MOSCOW (MRC) -- January imports of titanium dioxide (TiO2) rose by 26% in Russia to 3,040 tonnes from 2,410 tonnes a year earlier, according to MRC's DataScope report.


In January, 4,760 tonnes of Crimean Titan's TiO2 were sold for export or over than by 2 times more than in the same period last year.

The imports structure looked as follows.

1,440 tonnes of Chemours' material, accounting for 47% of the total imports, 330 tonnes of Kronos and Sachtleben's TiO2 (per each), 260 tonnes of Huntsman's material and 160 tonnes of Cristal's TiO2 were imported.

TiO2 imports for paints and coatings production were 2,690 tonnes or 85% of the total shipments, whereas TiO2 imports for PVC production totalled 220 tonnes or 7%.

TiO2 imports into the Russian market decreased in 2016 by 33% year on year, totalling 43,400 tonnes.

MRC

PVC imports to Belarus down by 3.2% in 2016

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Last year's overall imports of unmixed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into Belarus decreased by 3.2% year on year, totalling 24,800 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.


According to the Statistics Committee of Belarus, some local converters increased their purchasing of PVC in December, despite seasonal factors. Thus, shipments of resin from Russia increased, some companies were actively building up additional inventories, anticipating higher PVC prices in January. Therefore, imports of resin rose to 2,400 tonnes from 1,600 tonnes in November.

Overall demand for PVC from local converters subsided to 24,800 tonnes in January-December 2016, compared to 25,700 tonnes a year earlier. Lower export sales of finished products, particularly, of the profile-moulded products, remained the main reason for such a major fall in processing volumes.

Russian producers were the key suppliers of resin to Belarus. They accounted for about 62% of the local market over the stated period. Producers from Germany with the share of about 24% were the second largest suppliers.

MRC

PVC imports into Ukraine grew in January

MOSCOW (MRC) - Imports of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) into Ukraine increased by 65% in January 2017, compared to the same period in 2016 and reached about 6,700 tonnes, according to MRC DataScope.

Last month's SPVC imports into Ukraine despite the low season and long New Year holidays have increased to 6,700 tonnes against 4,100 tonnes a year earlier and 10,100 tonnes in December 2016. Several local producers of window profiles have actively built up additional stocks of the raw material since December last year on the back of low prices. Last year's overall SPVC imports grew to 110,600 tonnes from 82,300 tonnes in 2015.

Structure of PVC imports into Ukraine over the reported period was as follows.

Last month's imports of US PVC amounted to about 1,300 tonnes against 2,100 tonnes in January 2016 and 3,200 tonnes in December 2016.
Imports of US resin totalled 57,700 tonnes in 2016.

January imports of European PVC into the country were 4,000 tonnes, compared with 1,600 tonnes in January 2016, and 4,000 tonnes in December 2016. Total imports of European PVC into Ukraine were about 41,900 tonnes in 2016.

Ukrainian companies have increased purchases of Russian PVC since the end of September, with January imports of Russian PVC were 1,500 tonnes against 340 tonnes in January 2016 and 2,800 tonnes in December 2016. Imports of Russian PVC in 2016 totalled about 10,200 tonnes.


MRC

SABIC posts SAR 18bn profits in 2016

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Saudi Basic Industries Corporation's (SABIC) profits fell 4.95% year-on-year in 2016, said Englishmubasher.

Net earnings decreased to SAR 17.84 billion in 2016 from SAR 18.77 billion in 2015, according to a bourse filing.

The fall in net profits was attributed to lower average sales prices and higher zakat provision, adding to a decrease in cost of sales as well as general and administrative expenses.

Revenues dropped 10%, reaching SAR 132.83 billion in 2016 compared to SAR 148.09 billion in 2015.

As MRC informed earlier, a decision on whether Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) will go ahead with a JV with ExxonMobil will likely be made by Q2 2017.

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) ranks among the world's top petrochemical companies. The company is among the worldпїЅs market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.
MRC