MOSCOW: Exports of xylenes (mixed xylenes, paraxylene and orthoxylene) jumped 27% to 57,689 mt in Q3, according to latest data from Russia’s Federal Customs Service.
The rise was driven by orthoxylene exports which nearly doubled to 24,221 mt in Q3 compared to the same quarter a year ago. Orthoxylene exports in Q3 were about 42% of total xylenes exports.
Paraxylene exports took a larger share of total Q3 exports at 58%. On a year-on-year basis, Russian paraxylene exports of 33,456 mt in Q3 were stable from a year ago.
Russia’s trade in mixed xylenes was very limited in Q3. Russia is a major exporter of xylenes, importing under 10 mt of xylenes in the entire January-September period this year.
Strong exports of xylenes in Q3 follows higher xylenes’ production in Q3. Rosstat data released last month showed xylenes production rose 6% on the year in Q3 to 128,710 mt.
