At the end of last year, the total volume of imports of polypropylene (PP) to the Ukrainian market amounted to about 132.4 thousand tons, which is 8% more than in 2017. Demand for all types of polymers of propylene increased, according to a survey by Market Report of DataScope.

In December, the volume of imports of PP in Ukraine decreased to 9.6 thousand tons against 11.6 thousand tons a month earlier, the main decrease in deliveries fell on propylene homopolymer (PP-homo). In general, for the whole of 2018, the total volume of imports of propylene polymers reached 132.4 thousand tons against 123.1 thousand tons a year earlier. All types of propylene polymers grew in demand, with the strongest increase being in the stat propylene copolymer (PP-random).

The structure of deliveries by types of PP for the period under review is as follows.

In December, foreign supplies of propylene homopolymers to the Ukrainian market declined to 7.4 thousand tons, compared to 9 thousand tons a month earlier, local companies reduced the volume of purchases of PP-homo raffia varieties in Saudi Arabia. Last year, total deliveries of PP-homo reached 100.6 thousand tons against 94.3 thousand tons a year earlier.

Last month, the indicator of external supplies of propylene block copolymers (PP-block) amounted to 1.2 thousand tons against 1.1 thousand tons in November. On the part of local companies, there has been a slight increase in demand for molten copolymers of propylene. During the period under review, 13.3 thousand tons of PP-block were imported, whereas a year earlier the figure was 12.9 thousand tons.

In December, the import of stat-copolymers of propylene did not exceed the level of 0.8 thousand tons against 1.3 thousand tons a month earlier, the demand for PP from the manufacturers of pipes and molded products decreased. At the end of 2018, the total volume of imports of PP-Random exceeded the level of 16 thousand tons, whereas a year earlier this figure was 13.8 thousand tons.

The total supply of other propylene copolymers for the period under review amounted to 2.4 thousand tons.