MOSCOW: Russia’s imports of polycarbonate (PC) decreased to 21,500 tonnes in 2015, down 38% year on year, according to MRC DataScope. This substantial decrease in imports resulted from the rouble devaluation, as well as fluctuations in the price of PC in the European and Asian markets.
Due to restructuring, SABIC, the main import supplier to the Russian market, has changed its sales policy as of 2016. Customers will buy material directly from the producer, bypassing its Moscow representative office. Payments will be made on an advance payment in foreign currency. At the same time, the payment of the duty, VAT and customs clearances will be done by the buyers.
In 2015 the representative office in Moscow managed to adjust the price and make it competitive in the Russian market, this year PC granules will cost more. The company’s share in PC granules imports in the Russian market in 2015 was 60%.
PC imports in to Russia are expected to decrease further in 2016 because of the deteriorating of economic situation in the country. Despite the import substitution program in a shrinking PC market, the only producer of PC granules in the CIS countries, Kazanorgsintez, still can not cover the demand in the autumn and spring periods.
