Japan Feb PVC output down 12% from Jan, VCM down 2%

18 March 2009 11:36  [Source: ICIS news]

TOKYO (ICIS news)--Japan’s production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) declined 28.4% to 118,867 tonnes in February compared with the same month in 2008, a local industry association said on Wednesday.

Japan’s PVC production in February was down 11.7% from the previous month, the Vinyl Environmental Council (VEC) said.

Domestically, shipments of PVC for the manufacture of flexible PVC saw the largest decline – 34.7% – and totalled 17,590 tonnes year on year, according to the association.

However, exports of PVC increased 2.8% to 53,961 tonnes, the association said.

In February, Japan produced a total of 271,469 tonnes of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), PVC’s feedstock, up 10.8% year on year, according to the VEC.

This was, however, a 1.9% decrease from the previous month.

Domestic shipments of VCM for the production of PVC were down 29.2% to 118,997 tonnes compared with the year before, the association said.

Japan's exports of VCM in February more than doubled to 110,002 tonnes year on year, the association said.

Read Paul Hodges’ Chemicals and the Economy blog
To discuss issues facing the chemical industry visit ICIS connect

By: Tomomi Yokomura
+65 6780 4359

For the latest chemical news, data and analysis that directly impacts your business sign up for a free trial to ICIS news - the breaking online news service for the global chemical industry.

Get the facts and analysis behind the headlines from our market leading weekly magazine: sign up to a free trial to ICIS Chemical Business.

Printer Friendly