PE imports in Kazakhstan reduced to 6,200 tonnes in April, compared with 9,000 tonnes in March. In general, PE imports to the local market declined to 27,700 tonnes in January - April 2014, from 37,800 tonnes in the same period of 2013. Decline in demand for plastic pipes in the local market has led to a proportional decrease of the HDPE supply, while demand for LDPE increased from film producers.

 

Structure of PE supplies over the reported period was as follows. April HDPE imports to the country decreased to 3,900 tonnes, compared with 6,500 tonnes in March. Decline in HDPE imports in April resulted from reduced export quotas of pipe PE from Russian producers. Total HDPE imports in Kazakhstan fell to 19,700 tonnes in the first four months of this year, compared with 32,000 tonnes in the same period in 2013.

 

Imports of LDPE was 1,800 tonnes in April, compared with 2,200 tonnes in March. Total LDPE imports to Kazakhstan rose to 6,500 tonnes in the January - April, from 4,100 tonnes in the same period of 2013. The growth of demand occurred for local films producers. Key suppliers of LDPE were Russian producers, with their share of 94% from the totall imports to the country over the reported period.

 

April imports of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) to the country rose to 510 tonnes, from 413 tonnes in March. Total LLDPE imports in Kazakhstan were 1,400 tonnes in the first four months of this year, compared with 1,600 tonnes in January - April 2013. Key suppliers of polyethylene in Kazakhstan were producers from Asia and Uzbekistan.