Turkey earthquake to disrupt logistics for Asian PTA exports

Samuel Wong

07-Feb-2023

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Asian purified terephthalic acid (PTA) producers are in the midst of assessing the impact of their exports following a powerful earthquake that hit southeast Turkey and parts of Syria.

As shown on the chart below, around 79% of Turkey’s PTA imports for 2022 came from Asia, according to the ICIS Supply & Demand database.

The biggest share came from South Korea at 40% of total imports, while China represented a total of 38% of total imports, ICIS data shows.

Producers in Asia are considering to postpone their shipments especially to the Iskenderun port, while several others added that ports such as Mersin port are currently seeing limited impact.

Deliveries of natural gas to parts of the affected areas and some crude pipeline flows have been halted.

Operating rates at downstream converters, blow moulding industries and the end markets might see a decline amid infrastructural and logistics challenges.

According to several market sources, operating rates at Koksan’s PET facilities might have been affected, with the production units being located at Gaziantep. No further details could be obtained at the time of writing.

According to ICIS Supply & Demand database, Koksan operates two 216,000 tonne/year PET units located at Gaziantep.

Focus article by Samuel Wong

Thumbnail photo: Photo illustration of a Richter diagram displayed on a smartphone and a flag of Turkey. (Source: Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto/Shutterstock)

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