PVC imports to Belarus rose by 13.4% in January-September

MOSCOW (MRC) - Imports of unmixed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into Belarus increased to 29,100 tonnes in the first nine months of this year, up 13.4% year on year, according to MRC DataScope.

According to the Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus, local converters slightly increased their purchasing of PVC in September 2019, overall imports totalled 3,300 tonnes, compared to 3,000 tonnes a month earlier.

Thus, imports of unmixed PVC reached 29,100 tonnes in January-September 2019 versus 25,700 tonnes a year earlier, with local windows producers accounting for a increase in demand.

Russian producers with the share of about 84% of the Belarusian market were the key suppliers of resin to Belarus over the stated period.

Producers from Ukraine and Germany with the share of 9% and 5%, respectively, were the second and third largest suppliers.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Large quantities of Iranian general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) entered the Ukrainian GPPS market in the first half of November, therefore, supply of material was balanced with demand for it, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

The situation was different in the Ukrainian high impact polystyrene (HIPS) market: supply of material did not cover demand for it, traders were selling stocks of Nizhnekamskneftekhim's HIPS.

The hryvnya exchange rate against the dollar continued to strengthen and put downward pressure on prices of material in the domestic market along with the falling import prices.

As reported earlier, Nizhnekamskneftekhim (NKNH, part of the TAIF group), shipped material only to two Ukrainian converters in November, said market participants. Import prices for Russian material was reduced by USD20/tonne.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Nizhnekamskneftekhim (part of TAIF group) has reduced its import polystyrene (PS) prices for November shipments to Ukraine, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

Thus, the decrease in PS prices was USD20/tonnes for Ukrainian buyers.

At the same time, traders offered Nizhnekamskneftekhhim's material in the first half of November at the following prices: general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) - at UAH40,500-41,500/tonne CPT Kiev, including VAT, and high impact polystyrene (HIPS) - at UAH40,000-42,000/tonne CPT Kiev, including VAT.

Market participants said the Russian producer shipped material only to two converters in November.

PJSC "Nizhnekamskneftekhim" (NKNK) - one of the largest Russian manufacturers of petrochemical products. The industrial complex of the company includes ten major production plants and ten departments (Railway Transport, Ethylene trunk, etc..). NKNKh produces more than 120 types of chemical products, including synthetic rubber, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, surfactants. Nizhnekamskneftekhim is a member of TAIF Group of Companies.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS) to Russia rose in the first ten months of 2019 by 20% year on year to 41,100 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

This figure was 34,200 tonnes in January-October 2018.

European materials of Styrolution, Versalis and Trinseo accounted for over 90% of HIPS shipments and 60% of GPPS deliveries. Iranian GPPS of Petropaak and Artan Petro accounted for about 12% of the total imports. Imports of Iranian material fell by 3 times in September, there were no shipments in October at all.

At the same time, GPPS and HIPS imports to the Russian market dropped by 30% in October, totalling 3,600 tonnes versus 5,100 tonnes in September 2019. Imports of material into the country were 3,400 tonnes in October 2018.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF SE is moving forward with its previously announced plan to expand production capacity of ethylene oxide (EO) and EO derivatives at subsidiary BASF Antwerpen NV’s Verbund manufacturing site in Antwerp, Belgium, reported Oil&Gal Journal.

At a total investment amounting to more than EUR500 million, the expansion will add a second large EO plant at the site to increase production capacity by about 400,000 tonnes/year, as well as involve additional investments in various installations for EO derivatives, including nonionic surfactants, glycol ethers for automotive applications, and other alkoxylates, BASF said.

Phased start-up of the expansion is scheduled for 2022, according to the operator.

The expansions come as part of BASF’s plan to further strengthen its backward integration into EO to support continued growth of its customers in downstream markets.

In Europe, BASF - the largest producer of EO derivatives in the region - operates EO plants with a combined capacity of 845,000 tonnes/year in Antwerp and Ludwigshafen in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

As MRC informed before, in early September 2019, SIBUR, the largest petrochemical comples in Russia and Eastern Europe, and BASF, Geman petrochemical major, agreed to closely cooperate on sustainable development to share their best practices. SIBUR held a design session on sustainable development in the petrochemical industry. At the event, BASF shared details on its new sustainability strategy and its integration into the company's overall strategy. The participants were also presented with the company's methods of environmental impact assessment and approach to the circular economy, which embraces opportunities for chemical recycling of plastics, such as the ChemCycling project. With chemical recycling, fossil resources for chemical production can be replaced with recycled material from plastic waste.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,589,580 tonnes in the first nine months of 2019, up by 7% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. The estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 976,790 tonnes in January-September 2019, up by 4% year on year. Shipments of PP block copolymer and homopolymer PP increased.

BASF is the leading chemical company. It produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries.
MRC