January-October PP imports to Ukraine increase by 11% year on year

MOSCOW (MRC)–Ukraine’s polypropylene (PP) imports increased by 11% in the first 10 months of the year with demand for all grades higher, according to MRC DataScope.

October PP imports into Ukraine rose to 13,500 tonnes from 11,000 tonnes in September, with strongest demand for the supply of homopolymer PP.

Overall imports of propylene polymers reached 111,200 tonnes in January-October compared to 100,500 tonnes a year earlier.

Demand for all PP grades increased but PP block copolymers accounted for the greatest growth.

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

October imports of homopolymers of propylene to the Ukrainian market rose to 10,400 tonnes against 8,500 tonnes a month earlier as local companies increased the volume of purchases of homopolymer PP raffia in Saudi Arabia.

Overall shipments of homopolymer PP reached 84,200 tonnes in the first 10 months of 2018 versus 76,600 tonnes a year earlier.

Last month’s imports of block propylene copolymers (PP block copolymers) were 1,300 tonnes, compared to 1,100 tonnes in September.

Demand for injection moulding propylene copolymers improved from local companies.

Imports of PP block copolymers into the country were about 11,100 tonnes in January-October, compared with 10,800 tonnes year on year.

October imports of PP random copolymers exceeded 1,500 tonnes versus 1,200 tonnes a month earlier, with demand for PP increasing from pipes producers.

Overall imports of PP random copolymer reached 13,900 tonnes in January-October, whereas this figure was 11,300 tonnes a year earlier.

Ukraine’s imports of other propylene copolymers for the period were about 2,000 tonnes in the first ten months of the year.

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