In the first three months of the year, the total volume of imports of polypropylene (PP) to the Ukrainian market grew by 4% compared to the same period in 2016 and amounted to about 28.4 thousand tons. The supply of all types of polypropylene has increased, except for the propylene copolymers (PP-Random), according to DataScope.

In March, the volume of polypropylene imports to Ukraine, despite export restrictions from some European and Middle Eastern producers, increased to 10.3 thousand tons against 9.8 thousand tons a month earlier. In general, for January-March of this year the total volume of imports of propylene polymers grew to 28.4 thousand tons against 27.3 thousand tons a year earlier. The largest increase in external supplies fell on the PP block, while the demand for styrene copolymers of propylene declined.

The structure of supplies by types of polypropylene for the period under consideration is as follows.

Last month, the external supplies of propylene homopolymers to the Ukrainian market were actually maintained at the level of February and amounted to about 7.8 thousand tons. A limited supply of polypropylene in Europe and the Middle East, Ukrainian companies offset the growth in the volume of supplies from Russia. For the first three months, the total supply of PP homo reached 22.2 thousand tons against 21.2 thousand tons a year earlier.

In March, the external supplies of propylene block copolymers amounted to about 1.1 thousand tons against 900 tons a month earlier. Local companies went on to increase the volume of imports of pipe and injection PP-block. During the period under review, about 2.9 thousand tons of block copolymers of propylene were imported, whereas a year earlier this figure was about 2.5 thousand tons. The greatest increase in demand was shown by local pipe producers.

Last month, imports of propylene stat copolymers rose to 1.2 thousand tons against 923 tons in February, local companies doubled their supply of polypropylene pipe brands. According to the results of January-March, the total import volume of PP-Random has approached the level of 2.8 thousand tons, while a year earlier this figure was just over 3 thousand tons.

The total volume of supplies of other copolymers of propylene during the period under review was about 581 tons.