Russian H1 polypropylene imports down 5% year on year

MOSCOW (MRC)–Russia’s imports of polypropylene (PP) decreased to about 75,900 tonnes in first six months of this year compared to the same period of 2016, down 5% year on year from 79,900 tonnes, according to MRC’s DataScopeReport.

Imports of PP into Russia fell from 15,400 tonnes in May to 14,700 in June, with the decrease accounting only for homopolymer PP raffia grade.

June imports of homopolymer PP decreased to 5,200 tonnes from 7,000 tonnes a month earlier, as local companies decreased their shipments of homopolymer PP raffia grade from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Overall, imports of this PP grade reached 26,200 tonnes in the first six months of 2017, compared to 36,900 a year earlier.

June imports of PP block copolymers in Russia increased to 3,500 tonnes from 3,300 tonnes in May. Local companies increased purchasing of PP block copolymers for non-pressure pipes extrusion. Imports of PP block copolymers into Russia reached 20,400 tonnes in January-June 2017, compared to 15,700 tonnes a year earlier.

Imports of PP random copolymers in June were about 2,800 tonnes, compared with 2,200 tonnes in May because of an increase in purchases from local producers of PP films. Total imports of PP random copolymers in Russia were 13,600 tonnes in January-June 2017, compared with 14,300 tonnes year on year.

Imports of other propylene polymers for the reported period increased to about 15,700 tonnes compared with 13,100 tonnes in the same time a year earlier.

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