MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of bottle grade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in Ukraine increased by 8% year on year to 51,500 tonnes in the four months of the year from 47,800 tonnes a year earlier, according to MRC's DataScope report.
April imports amounted to 16,600 tonnes, 26% more than the previous month. External supplies of material were at the level of 14,100 tonnes in April last year. The volume of supplies of bottle grade PET from China to Ukraine over the fur months of the year fell almost three times: from 36,400 tonnes in January-April 2019 to 12,200 tonnes.
Nevertheless, the supply of Chinese PET chips to the Ukrainian market almost almost doubled in April and amounted to 5,500 tonnes compared to 2,900 tonnes a month earlier, compared to April last year, imports decreased by 45%. The share of imports from China in the total volume amounted to 33% in April against 22% a month earlier and 21% in April 2019.
The share of Chinese material decreased from 76% in the first four months of last year to 24%. The key suppliers of injection moulding Chinese PET chips to the Ukrainian market were producers Dragon, China Resources Chemicals and Yisheng Petrochemical.
At the same time, import of injection moulding PET chips from Lithuania grew three times in the four months of this year and amounted to 30,900 tonnes. This figure was at 10,100 tonnes in January- April 2019. The volume of foreign deliveries from Lithuania to Ukraine increased by 23% in April compared to March to 8,900 tonnes against 7,200 tonnes. In April of the previous year, imports of PET chips were 4,000 tonnes.
The volume of Lithuanian imports to the country in the total supply volume increased to 60% in he first four months of this year against 21% in January - April 2019. The main supplier of Lithuanian material is the manufacturer Neo Group (30,800 tonnes). The main buyers of Lithuanian bottled PET were Coca-Cola Beverages Ukraine Limited and Retal.
MRC