China November chemical output shows steady recovery

16 December 2009 09:24  [Source: ICIS news]

SHANGHAI (ICIS news)--China’s chemical output registered a steady year-on-year increase in November due to raised operating rates followed by a gradual recovery from the global financial crisis, industry sources said on Wednesday.

Most chemical products saw a double-digit jump in November output, led by calcium carbide which registered a 72.3% year-on-year increase. The polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sector showed a 66.5% year-on-year growth, according to data from China Petroleum & Chemical Industry Association (CPCIA).

"The output increase was not a result of any expanded capacity this year, but that of the market recovery and resumed operating rates as compared with last year," an industry source said.

A PVC market source said: "Rising prices and recovered demand boosted PVC and calcium carbide outputs in November, while the market was really bad this time of last year."

Market prices slumped last year due to the global financial crisis. Operating rates for PVC and calcium carbide sectors dropped to a low level of 30% in November 2008 following the crisis. The rates were lifted to 70-80% in November this year, leading to an year-on-year rise in the output, the source added.

Products	Nov-09		Jan-Nov 2009
	Output ('000 tonnes)	% change*YOY	Output ('000 tonnes)	% change*YOY
Inorganic chemicals
Sulphuric acid	5,860	69.2	53,103	16.1
Concentrated Nitric acid	188	46.0	1,862	7.9
Hydrochloric acid	746	21.3	7,271	4.2
Caustic soda	1,827	52.9	17,627	6.8
Calcium carbide	1,441	72.3	13,741	4.7
Organic chemicals
Ethylene	989	33.6	9,507	3.6
Benzene	425	43.3	4,205	8.0
Methanol	1,014	18.4	10,216	-1.9
Acetic acid	248	33.1	2,468	3.2
Synthetic material
Synthetic resin and co-polymer	3,360	30.9	32,326	8.7
PE	779	29.4	7,288	4.8
PP	754	23.8	7,421	8.6
PVC	793	66.5	8,324	8.6
Synthetic rubber	251	40.3	2,487	8.1
Polyester	870	-5.9	10,529	13.7
Chemical fibre	2,604	21.4	25,008	14.9
Plastic product	4,145	18.6	40,252	9.6

Source: CPCIA

Penny Wang from CBI contributed to this article

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By: Dolly Wu
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