Russia’s Q1 chemical production up by 1.6% year on year

MOSCOW (MRC)–Russia’s Q1 production of basic chemicals increased by 1.6% year on year, according to the Federal Service of State Statistics agency (Rosstat).

Output of chemical products rose by 2.9% year on year in March.

Ethylene production showed the greatest rise in March, increasing to 276,000 tonnes from 242,000 tonnes a month earlier.

For the first quarter 793,000 tonnes of this olefin were produced, up 1.3% year on year.

Last month’s output of benzene rose to 129,000 tonnes from 119,000 tonnes in February.

Overall production of this product reached 370,000 tonnes in the first three months of 2019, down by 4.6% year on year.

March output of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) was 114,000 tonnes (100% of the basic substance) versus 101,000 tonnes in February.

Overall production of caustic soda dropped to 325,000 tonnes over the stated period from 329,000 tonnes a year earlier.

Last month’s production of mineral fertilizers was 2,092,000 tonnes (in terms of 100% nutrients) versus 1,887,000 tonnes in February.

Overall, Russian plants produced 6,057,000 tonnes of fertilizers in January-March 2019, up by 2.6% year on year.

March production of polymers in primary form rose to 744,000 tonnes, up 13.6% from a month earlier.

Total volume of polymer production in primary form in Q1 amounted to 2,079,000 tonnes, up by 0.6% year on year.

MRC, a partner of ICIS, produces polymers news and pricing reports from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.