EPCA ’08: Bertschi gears up for Mideast inflows

29 September 2008 10:04  [Source: ICIS news]

MONTE CARLO (ICIS news)--European logistics group Bertschi is gearing up to prepare for the huge flows of Middle East polymers it predicts will hit Europe from the beginning of 2009, it said late on Sunday.

CEO and president Hans-Jorg Bertschi predicts big growth in demand for chemical logistics providers to shift product from the Middle East to Europe, the US and Asia, he said at the European Petrochemical Association (EPCA) meeting.

"From the beginning of next year we expects very considerable volumes to come from the new plants, building up to the beginning of 2010: these will be a big challenge for the logistics sector," he said.

Bertschi said his company was making significant investments in new logistics infrastructure in Rotterdam and further down the Rhine to "actively prepare for this significant growth".

Bertschi is not expecting to deal directly with Middle East producers as most of the new projects there are joint ventures between Western companies and local producers.

"It's almost our traditional partners but with new sources of products," he said.

Bertschi said that older polymer manufacturing plants in Europe may close as cheaper Middle East product arrives, but insisted that the more modern plants would remain competitive.

Europe is also benefitting from exchange rate fluctuations, he added.

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By: Will Beacham
+44 20 8652 3214

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