Stats: Turkey’s Q1 polymer imports up on quarter, year
by Merve Madakbaşı - mmadakbasi@chemorbis.com
According to ChemOrbis Import Statistics, Turkey imported 1,537.570 tons of polymers in total during the first quarter of 2022. The figure indicated an increase of 4.5% from the previous quarter, while it rose 7% from Q1 2021, data revealed.
The cumulative volume also pointed to the largest Q1 figure since ChemOrbis started to compile data in 2000.
Saudi Arabia remains Turkey’s top supplier in Q1
In January-March, Saudi Arabia was Turkey’s top polymer supplier, with 428,516 tons in total. It was followed by South Korea (140,037 tons) and Russia (102,524 tons).
In the first quarter, Saudi Arabia was Turkey’s number one supplier for homo-PP, LDPE and LLDPE.
PPH imports up almost 8% in Q1, copolymer gains 3%
Turkey’s homo-PP imports in Q1 rose 7.7% to surpass 550,000 tons on a quarterly basis. The volume indicated a larger increase of 14% as compared to the same quarter of last year.
PP copolymer imports totaled almost 94,000 tons in January-March, down 7% from the previous quarter. The figure gained 3% year-on-year, meanwhile. According to ChemOrbis Statistics, the volume pointed to the highest Q1 figure since 2012.
S-PVC imports up 7% from Q4 2021
In Q1, Turkey imported slightly more than 200,000 tons of S-PVC, while the volume was up nearly 7% on the quarter and 6% on the year.
The cumulative volume pointed to the highest Q1 level since 2018, when Turkey imported nearly 210,000 tons of S-PVC.
Russia was the largest exporter to Turkey with more than 27,000 tons, followed by China (22,710 tons) and South Korea (17,377 tons). This proves reduced availability from regular European PVC makers as well as Asian suppliers’ eagerness to ramp up their exports to Turkey despite unfavorable freight rates.
Cumulative PE imports stand at around 500,000 tons in Q1
According to the data from ChemOrbis, Turkey’s overall PE imports were down by around 4% in Q1 when compared to the previous quarter. The figure, at 500,130 tons, indicated a 3% loss from Q1 2021.
Looking at PE grades, Turkey’s HDPE imports stood at almost 212,000 tons, an increase of around 13% quarter-on-quarter. The volume dropped 4% on a yearly basis, however.
In the first quarter of 2022, LLDPE imports receded by 14% from Q4 2021 to about 175,000 tons, while they were up by 2.7% from the first quarter of last year. Meanwhile, imports pointed to the highest Q1 volume in more than two decades.
As for LDPE, Q1 imports decreased by 19% to around 79,000 tons quarter-on-quarter. The volume also slumped by 17.6% from Q1 2021.
The cumulative volume also pointed to the largest Q1 figure since ChemOrbis started to compile data in 2000.
Saudi Arabia remains Turkey’s top supplier in Q1
In January-March, Saudi Arabia was Turkey’s top polymer supplier, with 428,516 tons in total. It was followed by South Korea (140,037 tons) and Russia (102,524 tons).
In the first quarter, Saudi Arabia was Turkey’s number one supplier for homo-PP, LDPE and LLDPE.
PPH imports up almost 8% in Q1, copolymer gains 3%
Turkey’s homo-PP imports in Q1 rose 7.7% to surpass 550,000 tons on a quarterly basis. The volume indicated a larger increase of 14% as compared to the same quarter of last year.
PP copolymer imports totaled almost 94,000 tons in January-March, down 7% from the previous quarter. The figure gained 3% year-on-year, meanwhile. According to ChemOrbis Statistics, the volume pointed to the highest Q1 figure since 2012.
S-PVC imports up 7% from Q4 2021
In Q1, Turkey imported slightly more than 200,000 tons of S-PVC, while the volume was up nearly 7% on the quarter and 6% on the year.
The cumulative volume pointed to the highest Q1 level since 2018, when Turkey imported nearly 210,000 tons of S-PVC.
Russia was the largest exporter to Turkey with more than 27,000 tons, followed by China (22,710 tons) and South Korea (17,377 tons). This proves reduced availability from regular European PVC makers as well as Asian suppliers’ eagerness to ramp up their exports to Turkey despite unfavorable freight rates.
Cumulative PE imports stand at around 500,000 tons in Q1
According to the data from ChemOrbis, Turkey’s overall PE imports were down by around 4% in Q1 when compared to the previous quarter. The figure, at 500,130 tons, indicated a 3% loss from Q1 2021.
Looking at PE grades, Turkey’s HDPE imports stood at almost 212,000 tons, an increase of around 13% quarter-on-quarter. The volume dropped 4% on a yearly basis, however.
In the first quarter of 2022, LLDPE imports receded by 14% from Q4 2021 to about 175,000 tons, while they were up by 2.7% from the first quarter of last year. Meanwhile, imports pointed to the highest Q1 volume in more than two decades.
As for LDPE, Q1 imports decreased by 19% to around 79,000 tons quarter-on-quarter. The volume also slumped by 17.6% from Q1 2021.
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