Ukraine Q1 PE Imports up by 10% year on year

MOSCOW (MRC)–First-quarter imports of polyethylene (PE) into Ukraine grew by 10% year on year to 65,100 tonnes with increases for almost all grades, according to a MRC’s DataScope report.

Last month’s PE imports to Ukraine rose to 23,200 tonnes from 20,800 tonnes in February, with high density polyethylene (HDPE) accounting for the increase.

In Q1 shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers grew with HDPE showing the greatest increase.

The structure of PE imports by grades looked the following way over the stated period:

Last month’s HDPE imports rose to 10,300 tonnes from 6,500 tonnes in February, driven by pipe and film grade PE due to the forced shutdown at a local plant in January-February.

Overall HDPE imports reached 23,900 tonnes in the first three months of 2019, compared to 19,100 tonnes in the same period a year earlier.

March imports of low density polyethylene (LDPE) were 6,600 tonnes, flat with February. Overall LDPE imports reached 19,400 tonnes over the stated period, unchanged from last year’s figure.

Last month’s imports of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) were 5,200 tonnes, compared to 6,600 tonnes in February. Overall LLDPE imports rose to 18,300 tonnes in January-March 2019 versus 17,300 tonnes a year earlier.

Imports of other PE grades, including ethylene-vinyl-acetate (EVA), totalled 3,400 tonnes over the stated period, compared to 3,300 tonnes a year earlier.

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