MOSCOW: Russia’s imports of polypropylene (PP) decreased to about 123,800 tonne in first nine months, down 5% year on year, according to MRC’s DataScope report. Not all grades were subject to a decrease in shipments however. Russian companies cut polypropylene imports to 15,100 tonnes in September against 16,200 tonnes in August, with local producers reducing purchases of PP block copolymers. In general, PP imports into Russia totalled 123,800 tonnes in January-September, compared with 129,900 tonnes in the same period last year. The reduction in external supplies was seen only for homopolymer PP and PP random copolymers, while imports of PP block copolymers and other propylene copolymers increased. Overall, the structure of PP imports by grades looked the following way over the stated period:
September imports of homopolymer PP into the country decreased to 3,600 tonnes, compared with 3,800 tonnes in August. Overall imports of this PP grade reached 40,800 tonnes in the first nine months of 2017, compared to 59,200 a year earlier. September imports of PP block copolymers in Russia decreased to around 3,700 tonnes against 5,300 tonnes in August. Local companies reduced purchasing of PP block copolymers for non-pressure pipes extrusion. Imports of PP block copolymers into Russia reached 32,600 tonnes in January-September 2017, compared to 24,100 tonnes a year earlier. Imports of PP random copolymer in September rose to 3,700 tonnes against 3,000 tonnes a month earlier, amid good demand and tight supply from Russian producers; local producers increased purchasing of PP for pressure pipes production. Total imports of PP random copolymers in Russia were 23,000 tonnes in January-September 2017, compared with 25,600 tonnes year on year. Imports of other propylene polymers for the reported period increased to about 27,400 tonnes compared with 21,000 tonnes in the same time a year earlier.
