PP imports to Russia rise 28% in Q1

MOSCOW (MRC)–Russia’s imports of polypropylene (PP) rose 28% year on year toover 45,000 tonnes in first three months of 2018, according to a MRC’s DataScope report.

Russian companies increased volumes PP imports in March, which reached 16,400 tonnes against 14,200 tonnes in February.

March imports of homopolymer PP grew to 6,000 tonnes against 4,600 tonnes a month earlier, shipments of homopolymer PP raffia from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan increased. Overall imports of homopolymer PP reached 15,500 tonnes in the first three months of 2018, compared to 10,700 a year earlier.

March imports of PP block copolymers in Russia decreased to about 4,300 tonnes against 3,200 tonnes in February. Local companies increased purchasing of PP block copolymers for extrusion pipes in Europe. Imports of PP block copolymers into Russia rose to 11,200 tonnes in January-March 2018, compared to 10,800 tonnes a year earlier.

March imports of PP random copolymers remained in the level of February at about 2,500 tonnes. Total imports of PP random copolymers in Russia were 7,700 tonnes in January – March 2018, compared with 6,500 tonnes year on year. The greatest increase in supply accounted for pipe propylene copolymers.

Imports of other propylene polymers for the reported period increased to about 10,600 tonnes compared with 7,100 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.