Czech crude imports Jan-Apr 2025

Imports of Russian crude into the Czech Republic dropped from 568,200 tons in January to April 2024 to 1.867 million tons this year.  Azerbaijan increased crude shipments to the Czech Republic to 885,400 tons in January to April 2025 against 847,800 tons in 2024. 

Russian crude accounted for 28% of total Czech imports in the first four months this year against 43% in the same period in 2024.  Interruptions on the Druzhba pipeline in the first quarter this year for various reasons has culminated in the Czech Republic bringing forward its plans to take crude from the expanded TAL pipeline.  Orlen Unipetrol started to return oil borrowed from state reserves on 11 June which it had taken to cover the shortages.   The difference this time has been instead of Russian crude, Orlen Unipetrol the refinery is already returning light crude oil of the Azeri Light type, which is also processed by the refinery in Kralupy nad Vltavou.  Thus, in future non-Russian oil will used in Czech emergency reserves. 

Hungarian crude imports Jan-Apr 2025

Russian crude oil flows into Hungary amounted to 1.650 million tons in the first four months this year from a total imported volume of 1.719 million tons.  This measures against 1.305 million tons in January to April 2024 from a total of 1.546 million tons.  Average prices for Russian crude increased slightly this year to €483.2 per ton from €478.2 per ton.  Despite the slow transfer to alternative sources, Hungary has agreed an oil import deal with Croatia to secure supplies for itself and Slovakia as part of efforts to replace Russian oil pipeline shipments.  Croatia’s oil pipeline operator said it has agreed a transit shipment of 2.1 million tons of oil with MOL until the end of 2025.  In addition to the transit agreement, Janaf said that it has inked a contract with MOL for storage of oil at the Omisalj terminal as well as at Croatia's Sisak terminal further along the pipeline route, until 31 December 2027.  

The EU has called for lowering the price cap on Russian oil as it seeks to tighten energy and financial sanctions against the Kremlin’s ability to wage war.  The proposal is that western countries reduce the price at which Russian oil can be sold to $45 a barrel, down from the current $60.  The $60 price cap was agreed through the G7 in December 2022, when oil traded at well over $100 a barrel, with the aim of reducing Russia’s revenues from fossil fuels.  However, falling price of oil, which hit a four-year low of $59.77 in April, had rendered the cap “meaningless”. The price of a barrel of Brent crude has since recovered to about $67.

The European Commission has outlined a roadmap to end Europe’s reliance on Russian energy, with plans to ban all Russian gas and liquefied natural gas imports to EU member states by the end of 2027.

Polish crude imports Jan-Apr 2025

From the total of 7.874 million tons of crude imported into Poland in the first four months in 2025, supplies from Saudi Arabia totalled 4.117 million tons followed by Norway which provided 1.682 million tons.   Other suppliers included the US, UK and Nigeria.  Guyana has started supplying Poland this year, but no deliveries have been taken from Kazakhstan which has been more focused on the German market.  Average prices for Polish crude purchases dropped from $567.4 per ton in the first four months in in 2024 to $542.5 per ton in the first four months in 2025.

Polish petrochemical production Jan-Apr 2025

Ethylene production in Poland dropped in the first four months in 2025 to 101,000 tons against 122,800 tons in January to April 2024, whilst propylene rose from 129,500 tons to 134,300 tons.  The increase in propylene production is largely through the PDH plant of Polimery Police plant. 

Butadiene production at Plock dropped slightly to 19,350 tons in the first four months in 2025 from 19,756 tons in 2024.  Nearly all of the butadiene produced at Plock is consumed by Synthos.  Toluene production at Plock was restarted in April for the first time in two years, with production amounting to 5,036 tons. 

In the plastics sector polyethylene production in Poland amounted to 96,000 tons in January to April 2025 versus 108,300 tons in 2024.  Polypropylene production in Poland increased at the two plants at Plock and Police from 109,800 tons to 149,200 tons.  PVC production at Wloclawek decreased from 78,700 tons to 34,400 tons.

Orlen Q1 2025

The Orlen Group generated a net profit of zl 4.324 billion (€1.013 billion) in the first quarter in 2025, which is zl 1.526 billion (€358 million) more than in the corresponding period in 2024, reflecting an increase of 54%.  However, the net profit achieved was still lower than the average of market forecasts, which assumed about zl 4.6 billion. 

Orlen’s petrochemical sector sales declined from 1.218 million tons in the first quarter last year to 1.076 million tons in January to March 2025.  Sales of ethylene to Basell Orlen Polyolefins dropped from 83,000 tons to 77,000 tons whilst propylene sales on the merchant market dropped from 119,000 tons to 116,000 tons.  Benzene was the only product showing a rise this year, with sales totalling 105,000 tons against 100,000 tons.  Sales of polyethylene and polypropylene both dropped in the first quarter, in addition to PVC and PTA.   

Overall petrochemicals continued to provide the group’s weakest link amongst the product sectors.   Petrochemical sales and profitability have largely been in retreat since the second half of 2022 after sales totalled 1.397 million tons in the first quarter in 2022.  Profits from petrochemical operations hit the lowest point in recent years in the fourth quarter in 2023. 

Orlen’s revenues from monomer sales declined from €191.7 million to €187.0 million, whilst polyolefin revenues dropped from €195.6 million to €174.5 million.  Due to the drop in PTA sales from 134,000 tons to 95,000 tons in the first quarter this year, revenues dropped from €103.5 million to €65.7 million.   Due to plant outages PTA volumes decreased by 29% in first quarter while polyolefin volumes were down by 9% due to plant outages.  Regarding product margins ethylene, benzene, toluene and paraxylene all showed declines in the first quarter against the same period in 2024, whilst propylene and butadiene increased to levels closer to historical averages.

Czech olefin monomer trade, Jan-Apr 2025

Czech ethylene imports amounted to 1,792 tons in the first four months in 2025, against only 926 tons in January to April 2024.  Czech propylene imports totalled 24,769 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 10,848 tons in the same period last year.  Imports of olefin monomers have increased this year partly due to two-month operational shutdown which started on 11 April, during which the petrochemical plant underwent maintenance and modernisation of technologies, along with th?e implementation of investment projects.  Key actions included the replacement of high-pressure steam pipeline, replacing the inner floors of the four columns of the ethylene unit, and modernising the flare system.  

Germany supplied 14,095 tons of propylene to the Czech market in the first four months in 2025 against 10,821 tons in 2024, whilst imports from Poland rose from just 20 tons to 8,380 tons.  Butadiene imports increased in the first four months last year from 15,000 tons to 24,498 tons.  Germany supplied 19,573 tons this year and Hungary 2,919 tons.

Polish monomer imports, Jan-Apr 2025

Poland imported 31,129 tons of propylene in January to April this year against 38,362 tons in the same period in 2024.  Imports declined last year due partly to higher domestic production.  Average import prices rose from €851.3 per ton in the first four months in 2024 to €930.9 in 2025.  Germany was the main supplier to Poland, shipping 25,945 tons against 32,265 tons in January to April 2024.  Poland exported 8,379 tons of propylene in the first four months this year for a total value of €8.970 million. 

Butadiene import prices for Poland amounted to €939.9 in the first four months this year against €775.0 per ton for the whole of 2024.   Shipments totalled 39,775 tons against 33,028 tons in January to April 2024.  Germany increased exports in 2025 to 14,968 tons versus 6,359 tons in 2024, followed by Austria which increased shipments to 13,401 tons against 11,318 tons. 

Styrene imports into Poland totalled 33,307 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 39,826 tons in the same period in 2024.  Import prices dropped from €1353.5 per ton to €1165.8 per ton.  Shipments from Saudi Arabia increased from 4,072 tons in the first four months last year to 10,563 tons in January to April 2025.

Hungarian olefin trade, Jan-Apr 2025

Hungary imported a total of 5,357 tons of ethylene in April, of which 613 tons arrived from Slovnaft and 4,743 tons from Ukraine where it is thought that Karpatneftekhim at Kalush is producing small volumes.  Kalush and Tiszaujvaros are linked by pipeline.

Exports of propylene from Hungary amounted to 32,678 tons in January to April this year against 36,144 tons in January to April 2024.  Shipments to Slovnaft in Slovakia reduced from 36,144 tons to 22,860 tons, whilst deliveries were made in 2025 to Poland (5,157 tons) and Germany (4,661 tons).   Prices averaged €1390.5 per ton in the first four months against €1061.5 per ton in January to April 2024.  Hungarian butadiene exports dropped to 12,564 tons in the first four months against 22,571 tons in the same period in 2024.  Butadiene is exported from MOL’s Tiszaujvaros complex, with Poland as the largest destination.   Prices rose in the first four months from €779.5 per ton to €947.9 in 2025.

Czech polyethylene trade Jan-Apr 2025

For imports of all forms of polyethylene, Czech inward shipments amounted to 104,163 tons in January to April 2025 against 101,966 tons in the same period in 2024.  Average prices of imports rose from €1502.8 per ton to €1511.8 per ton.  Germany was the largest source of polyethylene imports, followed by the Netherlands and Belgium.

Polyethylene exports from the Czech Republic amounted to 59,491 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 67,195 tons in the same period in 2024.  Average prices increased from €1394.7 per ton to €1406.7 per ton. 

HDPE export shipments comprised 96,590 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 112,250 tons in the same period in 2024.  Germany was the largest destination for Czech HDPE supplied from Litvinov.  Other important markets for Czech polyethylene exports include Poland, Italy and Belgium. 

Czech polyethylene production totalled 78,000 tons in the first quarter in 2025 against 85,000 tons in the same quarter in 2024, whilst polypropylene increased to 74,000 tons versus 65,000 tons. 

Polish polyethylene trade Jan-Apr 2025

Consumption of polyethylene increased in the first four months in 2025 to 473,600 tons against 455,700 tons in the same period in 2024.  Production of polyethylene at Plock was lower in the first four months, whilst imports increased.

Polish imports of polyethylene totalled 480,112 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 452,431 tons in the same period in 2024, with average prices falling from €1314.9 per ton to €1285.6 per ton.  HDPE is the largest category of imported polyethylene into Poland, amounting to 148,815 tons in January to April 2025 versus 141,812 tons in 2024.  Germany is the largest supplier of HDPE to the Polish market.  

LLDPE imports rose from 71,029 tons in January to April 2024 to 84,415 tons in the corresponding period in 2025.  Most of the LLDPE imports were sourced mostly from West Europe, including France, the Netherlands and Germany.  LDPE imports rose to 117,824 tons in January to April 2025 from 114,212 tons in the corresponding period in 2024.    Imports from ethylene alpha olefins increased from 98,641 tons to 104,859 tons. 

Polish polyethylene exports amounted to 50,032 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 49,089 tons in the same period in 2024.  Average prices for polyethylene exports increased from €1116.2 per ton to €1378.0 per ton.  Exports of HDPE from Poland amounted to 66,561 tons in January to April 2025 versus 64,679 tons in the same period in 2024 whilst LDPE exports rose from 17,473 tons to 21,128 tons.  Exports of ethylene alpha olefins amounted to 4,100 tons in the first four months in 2025.

Hungarian polyethylene trade Jan-Apr 2025

Imports of all grades of polyethylene into Hungary amounted to 57,727 tons in January to April 2025 against 69,272 tons in January to April 2024.  Hungarian import prices for polyethylene rose on average from €1581.6 per ton to €1578.4 in January to April 2025.  The largest category of polyethylene imports comprised HDPE, which dropped from 29,323 tons to 24,333 tons.

Exports of LDPE from Hungary decreased from 23,838 kilo tons in the first four months in 2024 to 13,890 tons in January-April 2025.  HDPE exports increased from 72.748 kilo tons to 76,346 tons in January-April 2025.  EAO and EVA exports were both negligible.

Hungarian polyethylene exports amounted to 105,768 tons in January to April 2025 against 105,110 tons in January to April 2024.  Average prices of polyethylene exports dropped from €1237.5 per ton to €1223.4 per ton.  Revenues for polyethylene exports in January to April this year totalled $129.393 million.

European polypropylene price trends 2025

Contract prices of PP copolymer and homopolymers on the European market in the first quarter increased by an average of 2% against the same period in 2024.  Spot prices, on the other hand, recorded a decrease of an average of 6%.  One of the factors contributing to the increase in polypropylene contract prices was propylene's contract prices, up by 4% versus 2024.

Despite emergency and maintenance shutdowns at some manufacturers, the availability of polypropylene in Europe was sufficient to cover demand. The number of transactions on the spot market remained at a very low level in the reported quarter. Most processors, fearing the impact of the price war and anticipating a decline in propylene prices, decided not to replenish their stocks, limiting purchases to ensure the continuity of current production. 

Imports of the product from the Middle East and Asia were often delayed due to production and logistical reasons, which led to greater interest in polypropylene produced in Europe. It was not until the end of the first quarter of 2025 that larger quantities of competitively priced imported polypropylene were observed on the market, which led to a decrease in demand for PP produced in Europe.

Polish PP Trade Jan-Apr 2025

Polish polypropylene imports, including homo grade and copolymers, increased to 318,474 tons in the first four months against 314,952 tons in the same period in 2024.   Average prices for all types of polypropylene imports increased from €1421.6 per ton to €1459.3 per ton.  Homo grade polypropylene imports rose slightly from 199,351 tons in January to April 2024 to 203,253 tons in the same period in 2025, whilst copolymer imports amounted to 106,903 tons against 106,635 tons.    

Export shipments from Poland rose to 54,554 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 47,149 tons in January to April 2024.  Homo polymer grades comprised the main category of Polish polypropylene exports, where Germany was the largest destination.  Average export prices dropped from €1371.0 per ton in 2024 to €1310.7 in 2023. 

Polimery Police-outage in June

Exports of polypropylene from Poland rose from 115,909 tons in the first four months last year against 115,972 tons this year.  Due to major disruptions in power supplies, the PDH unit of the Polimery Police project was shut down at the start of June.  As a result, the production of polypropylene was suspended for more than a week with repairs expected to last up until 18 June.  The problem may have been related to the 110 kV line supplying energy to the plants.

Orlen and Grupa Azoty are yet to announce a decision regarding the future of Polimery Police.  The main target of the talks is aimed at Orlen taking over the majority of shares in Grupa Azoty Polyolefins.  The document focused on the possibility of concluding potential transactions in the polymer area, with particular emphasis on Grupa Azoty Polyolefins.

Hungarian polypropylene trade Jan-Apr 2025

Exports of all forms of polypropylene from Hungary amounted to 95,117 tons in January to April 2025 versus 109,329 tons in the corresponding period in 2024. 

Average prices of exports rose from €1364.3 per ton to €1477.3.  Homo-grade PP provides the main category of Hungarian polypropylene exports, amounting to 61,037 tons in the first four months this year versus 64,472 tons in January to April 2024.   Exports from propylene copolymers dropped to 25,987 tons from 30,980 tons.

For imports of all forms of polypropylene, Hungarian inward shipments declined to 64,386 tons in January to April 2025 from 72,865 tons in 2024, with average prices rising from €1364.3 per ton to €1477.3 per ton.  Imports of propylene copolymers into Hungary reduced from 30,980 tons to 25,987 tons whilst homo grade polypropylene imports dropped from 64,472 tons to 61,037 tons.    

Czech polypropylene trade Jan-Apr 2025

Exports of all forms of polypropylene from the Czech Republic amounted to 97,991 tons in January to April 2025 versus 98,572 tons in the same period in 2024. 

Average prices rose from €1453.4 per ton in 2024 to €1529.1 per ton in 2025.   Homo-grade PP provides the main category of Czech polypropylene exports, amounting to 79,622 tons in the first four months in 2025 versus 98,572 tons in the same period in 2024.   

For imports of all forms of polypropylene, Czech inward shipments amounted to 167,892 tons in January to April 2025 against 177,497 tons in the same period in 2024, with average prices dropping slightly from €1553.0 per ton to €1548.0 per ton.  Imports of propylene copolymers increased from 73,588 tons to 76,550 tons whilst homo grade polypropylene imports dropped from 98,501 tons to 87,418 tons. 

Hungarian synthetic rubber trade Jan-Apr 2025

Hungarian imports of synthetic rubber amounted to 81,521 tons in January to April against 91,388 tons in January to April 2024.  Average prices increased from €2473.4 per ton to €2521.4 in 2025.  Prices for SBR were the main cause of the main cause the higher overall prices.

Butadiene rubber imports into Hungary increased from 8,595 tons in the first four months last year to 10,612 tons, with the largest source coming from Indonesia.  SBR imports dropped from 18,891 tons to 17,186 tons. 

Synthetic rubber exports from Hungary amounted to 14,982 tons against 22,479 tons in the same period last year.  Prices for exports increased from €2585.0 per ton to €2877.9 per ton in 2025. 

Czech synthetic rubber trade Jan-Apr 2025

Exports of synthetic rubber from the Czech Republic amounted to 47,903 tons in January to April 2025 versus 46,970 tons in the same period in 2024.  At the same time imports declined from 49,755 tons to 48,618 tons in 2024.  The country is a net importer of natural rubber, with imports projected to reach $107 million by value by 2026.  

Rubber prices increased this year for both synthetic and natural rubber.  Czech synthetic rubber export prices jumped from €1631.6 per ton in the first four months last year to €2061.0 per ton in 2025 whilst import prices jumped from €2010.8 per ton to €2172.5.  Natural rubber prices increased this year to €2270.0 per ton from €1642.8 per ton in January to April 2024.

Czech butadiene rubber trade Jan-Apr 2025

The Czech Republic exported 40,322 tons of butadiene rubber in the first four months in 2025 against 36,375 tons in the same period in 2024.  Average prices rose from €1561.2 per ton to €1952.2 per ton.  

Czech exports of butadiene rubber to India amounted to 5,748 tons in January to April 2025 against 5,006 tons in the same period in 2024.  Other important markets included Poland where exports amounted to 5,073 tons against 4,617 tons.   Besides exports the Czech Republic also imported 4,751 tons of butadiene rubber in the first four months in 2025 against 5,144 tons in 2024.  Imports were sourced largely from Germany and the US.

Polish rubber trade Jan-Apr 2025

For all types of synthetic rubber imports into Poland average prices increased from €1642.7 per ton in January to April 2024 to €2360.8 in the first four months in 2025.  However, Poland reduced volume imports to 74,792 tons in the first four months against 126,915 tons in the same period last year.

By category, butadiene rubber was the largest product, accounting for 17,340 tons against 34,884 tons in the same period in 2024, whilst EPDM imports dropped from 14,861 tons to 7,376 tons.  Imports of emulsion SBR dropped from 9,641 tons to 2,456 tons.

Overall Russia was the leading supplier of synthetic rubber to the Polish market in 2024, until the full sanctions took legal effect from 18 June last year.  Before that date Russia accounted for 81,748 tons of synthetic rubber shipped to Poland which was up from 50,562 tons in 2023.  Sanctions on Russian synthetic rubber came into full force in June 2024, which is more two years after the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine. 

Germany supplied 11,375 tons of synthetic rubber to the Polish market in the first four months in 2025, with South Korea supplying 11,873 tons and Saudi Arabia 5,313 tons.  Volumes from these countries are expected to increase this year.

Synthetic rubber exports from Poland amounted to 54,129 tons in January to April 2025 against 53,001 tons in the same period in 2024.   Exports continue to edge upwards based on the increase in production by Synthos at Oswiecim.  Exports of butadiene rubber from Poland amounted to 8,103 tons in January to April 2025 versus 10,282 tons in the same period in 2024.   The largest category of rubber exports focuses on SBR grades. 

The largest European market for Polish synthetic rubber exports was the Czech Republic which took 23,027 tons in 2024.  Volumes increased last year to compensate for the closure of the ESBR plant at Kralupy.  Germany was the second largest market, taking 18,343 tons which was down against 20,526 tons in the previous year.

Prices of synthetic rubber exports from Poland increased from €1578.5 per ton in the first four months in 2024 to €1694.8 per ton this year.  Although both import and export volumes for synthetic rubber have been very similar, the prices for imported grades mostly exceed export prices.  The trend for all forms of trade have been downward since the start of 2023. 

Polish synthetic rubber production and domestic market Jan-Apr 2025

Synthetic rubber production at Oswiecim for Synthos amounted to 98,500 tons in January to April 2025 against 90,600 tons in 2024.  Synthos has managed to diversify its export markets, which has allowed the company to increase production over 2023.  Although synthetic rubber production increased in 2024 the extra output was channelled into export activity rather than domestic consumption.

For the whole of 2024 the production of rubber products in Poland amounted to 906,649 tons against 990,932 tons in 2023 and 1.119 million tons in 2022.   The downward trend continued into the first four months in 2025, where rubber consumption of all types (including natural) fell against 2024 and 2023.  Rubber is primarily consumed by industries such as automotive, construction, and manufacturing.  Some of the major companies involved in the processing and use of synthetic rubber in Poland in operate in diverse sectors, including automotive, industrial machinery, and consumer goods.  The predominant trend for processors continues to indicate lower orders.

Polish benzene exports Jan-Apr 2025

Polish exports of benzene totalled 56,200 tons in January to April 2025 against 57,632 tons in the same period in 2024.  Exports to Germany increased from 44,015 tons to 45,502 tons in 2025, with average prices dropping from €849.8 per ton to €825.3 per ton.  Benzene exports from Poland are supplied largely from Petrochemia Blachownia at Kedzierzyn-Kozle. 

Polish aromatic imports Jan-Apr 2025

Phenol imports into Poland amounted to 34,249 tons in January to April 2025 which was up from 31,930 tons in the same period in 2024.  Germany was the dominant supplier of phenol to Poland, shipping 29,247 tons against 23,122 tons in the same period in 2023.    Spain and Finland accounted for smaller shipments. 

Average prices for phenol imported into Poland dropped to €1017.2 per ton against €1330.6 per ton in the first four months in 2024.  Higher phenol imports partly offset the drop in phenol production at Plock in the first four months in 2025.

In other product areas, styrene imports into Poland amounted to 33,307 tons in the period January to April 2025 against 39,826 tons in the same period in 2024.  Aside the Netherlands and Belgium, other supplies came from the US and Saudi Arabia.  Both US and Saudi shipments represent new sources of product for the Polish market.  Average prices for styrene imports into Poland dropped from €1353.5 per ton in the first four months last year to €11165.8 per ton.

Ethylbenzene imports amounted to 33,246 tons against 34,935 tons in the same period last year.  All the ethylbenzene was shipped from Kralupy to Oswiecim, all within the structures of the Synthos Group.

Grupa Azoty’s caprolactam plant at Tarnow produced 32,800 tons in the first four months against 33,800 tons in the same period in 2025.  Due to the idle production at Pulawy Poland has become a net importer of caprolactam in the past few years.  Caprolactam imports into Poland amounted to 6,200 tons in the first four months in 2025 versus 4,376 tons in the same period in 2024. 

Polish PTA exports Jan-Apr 2025

PTA exports amounted to 74,881 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 109,432 tons in the same period in 2024.  Exports to Germany dropped from 93,427 tons to 69,583 tons.  Average prices for PTA changed from €796.2 per ton to €741.9 per ton this year.  Regarding PTA feedstocks, Poland imported 2,966 tons of paraxylene in the first four months this year against 5,957 tons last year.  Due to lower PTA production at Wloclawek imports of PTA amounted to 17,328 tons in the first four months in 2025.

Regarding Orlen’s performance on PTA, production, exports and export revenues all declined in the first quarter this year.  Demand for PTA has remained low since the beginning of 2025, which was partly due to production shutdowns at PET processors, and partly to weak demand for its derivatives. 

Czech aromatic exports Jan-Apr 2025

Czech aniline exports amounted to 25,821 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 40,768 tons in the same period in 2024.  Hungary is the largest destination for Czech aniline exports, amounting to 20,346 tons in the first four months in 2024.

Czech benzene exports increased to 9,564 tons in January to April 2025 against 4,346 tons in the same period in 2024, whilst toluene exports dropped from 2,898 tons to 1,136 tons.  Czech caprolactam exports fell from 10,479 tons in the first four months in 2024 to 706 tons in 2025 as Spolana winds down production at Neratovice.  Phthalic anhydride exports have not been carried out in 2025 against 3,237 tons in the first four months in 2024.

Czech aromatic imports Jan-Apr 2025

Czech imports of styrene amounted to 10,359 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 3,902 tons in the same period in 2024.  Imports from the Netherlands increased from 2,976 tons to 5,176 tons.  Average prices paid for styrene imports amounted to €1200.4 per ton against €1287.9 in 2024.  Benzene imports into the Czech Republic in the first four months in 2025 amounted to 8,418 tons against 23,760 tons in January to April 2024.  Benzene imports are sourced from Poland, Hungary and Serbia.  Toluene imports dropped from 2,093 tons to 1,690 tons.

Czech Bisphenol A imports & epoxy resin exports  

Bisphenol A imports into the Czech Republic totalled 10,011 tons in January to April 2025 against 11,436 tons in the same period in 2024.  South Korea increased shipments from 7,340 tons to 10,768 tons.  The largest user of bisphenol A in the Czech Republic is Spolchemie at Ust nad Labem, where epoxy resins are produced. 

Czech exports of epoxy resins amounted to 18,525 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 17,147 tons in 2024.  Prices rose from €2518.1 per ton to €2643.6 per ton in 2025.  Germany remains the largest market for Czech epoxy resins, accounting for 7,131 tons in the first four months in 2025 which was up from 5,790 tons in same period in 2024. 

Hungarian aromatics Jan-Apr 2025

The balance in Hungarian benzene trade has changed this year, with exports falling and at the same time imports increasing.  Exports dropped from 22,571 tons in the first four months in 2024 to 5,884 tons in the same period last year.  At the same time imports of benzene increased from 8,417 tons to 12,583 tons in January to April 2025.  Benzene production in Hungary takes place at Szazhalombatta. 

Toluene imports into Hungary amounted to 19,270 tons in the first four months this year against 18,078 tons in the same period in 2024.  Average prices dropped from €1064.2 per ton to €922.3 per ton. 

Hungarian TDI-MDI exports Jan-Apr 2025

Hungarian TDI exports January to April 2025 amounted to 102,182 tons against 98,352 tons in January to April 2024.  Average prices dropped from €1986.3 per ton to €1837.9 per ton despite some market tightness.    Exports of TDI from Hungary to Belgium amounted to 16,660 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 13,027 tons in January to April last year, whilst volumes to Italy rose from 11,336 tons to 12,120 tons. 

Shipments to Poland increased from 10,760 tons to 11,779 tons and dropped to Turkey from 18,635 tons to 11,912 tons.  Shipments to Romania dropped from 4,725 tons to 3,389 tons.  Although growth rate for polyurethane consumption has been sluggish in the past few years, the market continues to expand.  The construction sector remains the dominant consumer, accounting for nearly 35% of total polyurethane consumption, particularly for insulation applications. Additionally, the automotive industry continues to adopt polyurethane for lightweighting and energy-efficient solutions

MDI exports from Hungary amounted in January to April to 84,338 tons against 81,933 tons in January to April 2024.  MDI export prices increased to €2052.4 per ton against €1876.2 per ton in 2024.     

Poland was the largest destination for Hungarian MDI exports, taking 20,035 tons in the first four months in 2024 versus 13,912 tons in January to April 2025.  Exports to Turkey dropped from 13,707 tons to 8,373 tons whilst shipments to Italy increased from 1,051 tons to 6,575 tons.

Central European isocyanate trade Jan-Apr 2025

TDI prices have recently experienced a complex interplay of factors, including seasonal demand shifts, supply chain disruptions, and trade-related uncertainties. While there have been instances of price declines, particularly in Europe, driven by weaker demand, other reports suggest rising prices due to supply chain issues and heightened demand in certain regions. Additionally, there are ongoing concerns about dumping and potential anti-dumping investigations, particularly impacting TDI imports from specific countries.

TDI imports into Poland amounted to a total of 26,855 tons in January to April 2025 against 26,900 tons in January to April 2024.   Prices of TDI imported into Poland dropped from €2050.6 per ton in 2024 to €1920.2 per ton.  Hungary was the largest supplier in the first four months in 2025, shipping 14,350 tons to Poland versus 10,400 tons in January to April 2024.   

MDI imports into Poland totalled 55,903 tons in January to April 2025, up against 53,475 tons in January to April 2024.  Average prices were up very slightly in the first four months against last year, amounting to €1895.8 per ton over January and February.

Germany increased MDI shipments to Poland to 17,704 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 16,034 tons in January to April 2024, whilst imports from Hungary increased to 17,609 tons against 13,446.  Belgium shipped 11,178 tons of MDI to Poland in the first four months, down from 11,383 tons whilst South Korea increased shipments from 3,691 tons to 4,496 tons.

MDI imports into the Czech Republic totalled 13,814 tons in January to April 2025 against 13,141 tons in the same period in 2024.  Average prices declined from €2057.8 per ton last year to €872002.5 per ton.    The leading supplier so far this year was Hungary which shipped 3,939 tons against 2,648 tons in January to April 2024. 

European polyol market balanced but struggling to full recover

Czech polyol imports amounted to 16,482 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 15,760 tons in the same period in 2024.  Belgium supplied 5,009 tons against 4,548 tons last year, whilst average prices dropped to €2195.7 per ton against €2296.2.

The European polyether market has been fairly balanced in terms of supply and demand in 2025, but at the same production and consumption have both been lower than last year.    Production has been lower due to several plants incurring technical problems.  For consumption some customers have already reported a 20-30% drop in consumption in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period of 2024.  Currently the market size of polyether polyols in Europe is estimated at about 1.2 million tpa.  

European polyol market challenges

One of the main challenges for European polyether-polyol producers in 2025 is striving to improve the efficiency of production costs.  The geopolitical situation could moreover significantly influence the flow of imports, including propylene, the price of gas and energy. 

Polyether polyol suppliers in Europe were forced to reduce production levels last year due to cost pressures partly from propylene oxide prices.  The overall market is tight due to a fairly long period of weak demand, especially in the automotive and upholstered furniture sectors.  The main application areas have demonstrated a significant reduction in demand for polyether polyols.  The upholstered furniture industry was particularly affected last year, with many furniture manufacturers having to reduce production or even face the risk of bankruptcy due to falling demand.  

Automotive production also declined due to supply chain disruptions and weak demand, further reducing demand for polyether polyols.  

Polyether polyol suppliers in Europe were forced to reduce production levels in 2024 after cost pressures were faced from propylene oxide prices.  These demand patterns demonstrated a significant reduction in demand for polyether polyols.

Hungarian polyol imports Jan-Apr 2025

Imports of polyols into Hungary dropped in the first four months this year to 12,964 tons against 13,492 tons in the same period in 2024.  Imports from China amounted to 4,701 tons in the period January to April 2025 against 3,438 tons in January to April 2024.  MOL’s new plant at Tiszaujvaros is not yet operational but should impact on import volumes in 2025 as the more domestic customers switch to local supply.   

Polish polyol trade Jan-Apr 2025

Exports of polyols from Poland in the first four months in 2025 amounted to 18,745 tons against 19,787 tons in the same period in 2024.  Destinations for deliveries were focused mostly on Europe, led by Italy taking 2,991 tons followed by Germany with 1,950 tons.  Nearly all of Poland’s polyol exports are supplied by PCC Rokita from the Brzeg Dolny plant.  Average export prices for Polish polyols dropped from €2102.7 per ton to €1954.8 per ton.

Polish polyol imports amounted to 49,947 tons in January to April against 33,855 tons in the same period in 2024.  The Netherlands supplied 10,344 tons against 9,217 tons last year, whilst Germany increased supplies to 10,547 tons against 8,052 tons.  Polyol import prices into Poland dropped from €1865.3 per ton to €1743.7 per ton. 

PCC Rokita Jan-Mar 2025

PCC Rokita achieved an EBITDA profit of zl 57 million in the first quarter, which was 26.3% lower than in the first quarter in 2024.   PCC Rokita’s EBITDA for polyurethane amounted to only zl 4.9 million, which was lower by zl 15.1 million representing a fall of 76%.   Revenues dropped 9% in the first quarter for polyurethanes and volumes dropped by 8%.  The decrease in revenues was the result of lower sales prices, whilst margins for polyols dropped from 9.0% to 2.4%.  PCC Rokita has a 4-5% market share of polyether polyols in Europe. 

In the chlorine derivatives segment, the results were significantly lower than in the same period in 2024.  The EBITDA decreased by 62% in the first quarter of 2025, affected mainly by declines in hydrochloric acid sales prices and the situation on the propylene oxide market. 

Factors that affected PCC Rokita’s performance in the first quarter included persistently low margins due to aggressive price competition in the market, increasing imports of polyether polyols of Asian origin, and stagnation of demand in the consumer market in Europe in both the construction and automotive industries and furniture. 

Around two thirds of polyol production for PCC Rokita are exported from the Brzeg Dolny site and mostly to European destinations.  The company focuses essentially on two polyol groups, polyester and polyether.  Sales of polyester polyols in the Polish market were higher for PCC Rokita in 2024, whilst demand for polyether polyols was more restricted.  The main sales application for polyester polyols is polyurethane insulation panels, and due to good demand PCC Rokita has been close to using its full production capacity.  For polyether polyols, the key market is flexible foams which are used mainly in the furniture industry.  PCC Rokita’s company in Thailand (IRPC) recorded positive sales results in the first quarter in 2025.  IRPC Polyol is also affected by competition from China which poses serious challenges for the polyol business in the medium and long term. 

PCC Exol Jan-Mar 2025

The PCC Exol Group recorded margins of 17.3% in the first quarter against 17.2% in the same quarter last year.  Revenues from sales of products increased by zl 46 million, which was 23% higher than in the same period in 2024.  The first quarter of 2025 ended with sales revenues of zl 290 million, which was an increase of zl 48.2 million compared to the same quarter of 2024.  Revenues also include sales of ethylene oxide to PCC Group companies, which account for more than 8% of total revenues.  Ethylene oxide is one of the most important raw materials for PCC Exol and thus the main element of the agreed ethylene oxide price formula is the contract quotations of ethylene in West Europe. This method of calculation ensures that the level of raw material prices is maintained in line with the market trend.

For surfactants with cosmetic applications, sales in the first quarter for PCC Exol amounted to 20,600 tons against 19,200 tons in the same period in 2024.  Sales revenues increased from €21.0 million in the first quarter last year to €25.9 million this year.   

Detergents and cosmetics market experienced very high price pressure, mainly due to the oversupply of mass surfactants in Europe and consumer expectations regarding further price declines.  

The largest increase in sales volume was recorded in the group of products for industrial applications.  In this group, volume sales in the first quarter of 2025 were nearly 40% higher than in the first quarter of 2024, rising from 10,200 tons to 14,100 tons. The higher volume also contributed to an increase in revenues from €20.9 million to €25.8 million. 

Chimcomplex Jan-Mar 2025

Chimcomplex’s turnover decreased in the first quarter by around €2.8 million against the same period in 2024, influenced by the reduction in demand on the European market for all products put on the market by the company.  A total of 94% of revenues came from finished products. 

The company sold 16,634 tons less in the first quarter than it did last year.  Sales prices were lower compared to the same period last year by 11%, which partly explains the fall in revenues.  Between January and March 2025, polyols accounted for 50% in total sales of finished products, chloralkalis with 35% and oxo products with 10%.  

Net profits dropped from €5.050 million in the first quarter last year to €1.105 million in the first quarter this year.  Production volumes dropped in the first quarter to 110,150 tons against 146,750 tons in the same period in 2024.  Chlorine production at the Borzesti platform dropped from 87,981 tons to 67,432 tons, whilst propylene oxide production at Ramnicu Valcea declined from 21,185 tons to 15,581 tons.  Polyol production at the same site decreased from 25,925 tons to 19,140 tons.

Chimcomplex polyol sales Jan-Mar 2025

Polyols accounted for 45% in total sales in 2024, followed by chloralkalis with a share of 36% and oxo alcohols with a share of 15% in total sales.  Polyol sales from Chimcomplex in 2024 amounted to 81,583 tons, which represents an increase of 6% over 2023.  The company recorded significant sales increases in markets such as the UK, Ukraine, Greece, Sweden and Spain, but faced declines in West European markets such as Germany, Italy and the Benelux countries.  

Hungarian maleic anhydride exports Jan-Apr 2025

Hungary exported 6,480 tons of maleic anhydride in January to April against 8,894 tons in January to April 2024.  Average prices rose from €1165.6 per ton to €1373.7 per ton.  Exports of maleic anhydride to Poland from Hungary dropped from 3,288 tons in the first four months in 2024 to 1,097 tons in the same period in 2025.    

Hungarian organic chemical exports Jan-Apr 2025

Exports of organic chemicals from Hungary totalled 150,139 tons in the first four months this year, down from 228,872 tons in the same period in 2024.  The largest commodity in the organic chemical sector is TDI, accounting for 41% of Hungarian organic chemical exports in January to April by volume and 33% by value.   Overall, the value of organic chemical exports from Hungary amounted to €413.835 million in the first four months which was down from €556.232 million in January to April 2024.

Imports of organic chemicals into Hungary amounted to 188,460 tons in the period January to April 2025 against 238,660 tons in the same period in 2024, with values dropping from €560.210 million to €450.620 million.  The major organic chemical imports include methanol, toluene, aniline and acrylonitrile. 

Hungarian aniline & acrylonitrile imports Jan-Apr 2025

Aniline imports into Hungary dropped from 41,177 tons in January to April 2024 to 21,492 tons January to April 2025.  Inward shipments from BorsodChem-MCHZ in the Czech Republic amounted to 21,288 tons against 30,103 tons in January to April 2024.  Cost prices of aniline imports dropped from €1473.0 per ton to €1366.4 per ton.

Acrylonitrile imports into Hungary rose in the first four months to 8,044 tons from 2,511 tons in the same period in 2024.  Imports from the Netherlands increased from 2,355 tons to 6,568 tons.  Average prices for acrylonitrile imports rose slightly from €1709.1 per ton to €1716.9 in 2025.

Polish organic chemical imports Jan-Apr 2025

Exports of organic chemicals from Poland dropped by volume to 514,900 tons in January to April 2025 from 527,600 tons in the same period in 2024, whilst imports rose from 1.279 million tons to 1.503 million tons.  

Export values increased from €417.3 million to €418.6 million, whilst import values rose from €887.8 million to €1.023 million.    Trade volumes are still lower than before the Ukrainian war started but are showing an upward trajectory. 

In some of the product areas, such as oxo-alcohols (octanol, n-butanol and iso-butanol) the Central European market has seen increased competitiveness this year from imports from Asia and the US.

Methanol imports into Poland totalled 211,418 tons in January to April 2025 against 206,133 tons in the same period in 2024.   For other organic chemical imports Poland imported 13,341 tons of acetic acid in January to April against 11,195 tons in January to April 2024.  The US provided 10,162 tons in the first four months, replacing the UK as the leading supplier in 2024.

Ethyl acetate imports into Poland amounted to 3,618 tons in January to April 2025 against 5,597 tons in January to April 2024.  Belgium provided the largest share of imports.  VAM imports into Poland increased to 13,827 tons versus 7,275 tons.    

Maleic anhydride imports into Poland amounted to 4,101 tons in January-April 2025, versus 3,628 tons in the previous year.  Imports are currently sourced from Germany, Hungary and South Korea.  Isopropanol imports into Poland amounted to 4,418 tons in January-April 2025, up from 3,869 tons in the previous year.  Aside Germany, imports come from the Netherlands and South Africa. 

Polish glycol/oxide imports Jan-Apr 2025

Ethylene glycol imports into Poland dropped in the first four months this year to 12,255 tons from 20,461 tons in the same period in 2024.  Belgium is the main supplier of glycols to the Polish market.  DEG imports increased to 11,103 tons against 10,573 tons.

Ethylene oxide imports into Poland totalled 7,516 tons in January to April 2025 versus 7,849 tons in January to April 2024.   Germany currently represents the main source of inward shipments. 

There are the problems in the propylene oxide market, where production is forecast to remain unprofitable in West Europe in the coming years, regardless of the technology, Lyondell Basel & Covestro officially announcing the closure of the Maasvlakte plant in the Netherlands, which includes POSM technology and production capacities of 315,000 tpa for propylene oxide and 640,000 tpa for styrene.

In the second quarter, propylene oxide production shutdowns are also expected at Shell, Moerdijk and Dow, Stade, for maintenance reasons.  In March, 10,000 tons of propylene oxide was imported from the US, while two of the Chinese producers applied for government approval to export propylene oxide to Europe. The logistics of transporting propylene oxide is more difficult than that of polyols, and there is currently a growing interest from European consumers to secure volumes from China due to the significant price difference.

Polish organic chemical exports Jan-Apr 2025

Regarding export activity in organic chemicals, Polish shipments of monochloroacetic acid (MCAA) amounted to 13,009 tons in the first four months in 2025.   

MCAA production is undertaken by the PCC Group at Brzeg Dolny.  Other organic chemical exports from Poland include glycerol where shipments amounted to 13,294 tons in January-April 2025 versus 10,387 tons in January to April 2024.   The main markets for Polish acetone exports included Italy, Germany, Romania and Lithuania.  Methanol exports amounted to 61,594 tons in the first four months this year against 68,313 tons in January to April 2024. 

Czech organic chemical trade Jan-Apr 2025

Czech organic chemical exports amounted in value to €412.1 million in the first four months in 2025 against €442.4 million in the same period in 2024, with volumes dropping from 200,600 tons to 177,800 tons.

Imports increased from €460.2 million to €466.9 million.  Import volumes declined from 237,000 tons to 223,400 tons.   Czech imports of organic chemicals are led by methanol where volumes amounted to 14,879 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 23,374 tons in the same period in 2024. 

Other products imported include oxo alcohols, both in butanols and 2-EH where inward shipments rose to 7,565 tons in January to April this year.  Most of the 2-EH imports come from the Azoty plant at Kedzierzyn-Kozle.  Plasticizer imports increased in the first four months to 4,549 tons against 2,309 tons in the same period last year.

Central European oxo alcohols Q1 2025

In the first quarter of 2025, oxo alcohol prices in the European market declined by an average of 11% against the same period last year.  The price of 2-EH (2-ethylhexanol) fell by 15%.  The price decrease was caused by weak demand for these products and intense market competition.

Production of oxo alcohols in Poland remained unchanged at 39,000 tons in the first quarter, with the market remaining lacklustre due to good product availability and low demand.

In Romania, Chimcomplex reduced oxo alcohol sales by approximately 2,400 tons in the first quarter this year against the same period in 2024.  Chimcomplex restarted the oxo-alcohol production plant at the beginning of 2024 and set a monthly operating target of 2,700-3,200 tons of 2-ethylhexanol (2-EH) in addition to 135 tons of n-Butanol and 270 tons of isobutanol.   

Czech methanol imports Jan-Apr 2025

Czech imports of methanol amounted to 14,929 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 23,374 tons in the same period in 2024.  Prices per ton for methanol imports increased from €381.8 to €532.9 per ton.

Poland supplied 6,742 tons to the Czech Republic in the first four months in 2025 against 17,552 tons in the same period in 2024, whilst the second largest source of supply came from Estonia supplying 3,116 tons against 2,197 tons last year.

Hungarian methanol imports Jan-Apr 2025

Methanol imports into Hungary in January to April increased to 37,816 tons against 32,479 tons in January to April 2024.  Imports from Germany decreased from 21,271 tons to 18,303 tons, replacing sources from Poland and Slovakia.  Imports from Slovenia into Hungary amounted to 5,877 tons in the first four months, against 6,299 tons in the same period in 2024.  Methanol production in Slovenia takes place at the Lendava plant.  Average prices of methanol imports into Hungary amounted to €500.3 per ton against €445.6 per ton in 2024.

Polish methanol trade Jan-Apr 2025

Polish imports of methanol amounted to 210,057 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 208,021 tons in January to April 2024.    The market has adjusted completely to non-Russian sources of methanol which has meant generally higher prices.  Average prices in the first four months amounted to €364.3 per ton against €320.5 per ton last year. 

Trinidad was the largest supplier of methanol to Poland in the first four months in 2025, shipping 54,458 tons followed by the US which shipped 36,557 tons.  The US has been a new supplier in recent months.

Venezuela reduced shipments from 60,738 tons to 26,824 tons whilst imports from Belgium declined from 50,241 tons to 26,349 tons.

Exports of methanol from Poland amounted to 31,385 tons in January to April 2025, declining from 35,752 tons in the same period in January to April 2024.  Polish methanol export prices increased in the first four months this year to €480.7 per ton measured against last year’s €378.8 per ton in 2024.  The largest destination for Polish exports was Germany which took 35,941 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 36,831 tons in the same period in 2024.  Ukraine imported 6,959 tons in the first four months, against 8,285 tons last year.  A total of 25,932 tons of methanol was imported by Ukraine from Poland in 2024 against 25,175 per ton tons in 2023. 

Grupa Azoty Q1 2025

Despite an EBITDA of minus zl 8 million or minus 0.2% Grupa Azoty achieved better results in the first quarter this year against the same period in 2024.   The EBITDA margin generated for the Agro Sector in Q1 2025 amounted to 3.6% which was 2.4% higher.   

In addition to improving financial results, in the group increased product sales by over 200,000 tons in the first quarter this year.  Production of nitrogen fertilisers increased from 753,000 tons in the first quarter last year to 953,000 tons, whilst the production of speciality fertilisers increased from 83,00 tons to 97,000 tons. 

Grupa Azoty plastics division Q1 2025

The main negative impact on the plastic segment's results stemmed from Grupa Azoty Polyolefins, which was largely due to the lower production at the Polimery Police plant.   Polypropylene production amounted to 45,000 tons in the first quarter in 2025 against 56,000 tons in the same period in 2024.  Overall, the plastics segment recorded an increase in sales volumes by 10,000 tons, whilst recording a decrease in product prices (polyamide and polypropylene) and raw material prices (phenol and propane).  Only in the packaging industry was demand assessed as positive in the first quarter, which is particularly important for the polypropylene market.  However, the key sector of polyamide applications in Europe, the automotive industry, was struggling with a crisis exacerbated by uncertainty regarding US trade tariffs and possible responses from other countries. 

Russian chemical production Jan-Apr 2025

Russian ethylene production amounted to 1.541 million tons in the first four months in 2025 against 1.616 million tons in 2024, whilst propylene production dropped from 939,426 tons to 883,939 tons.  Benzene production fell from 468,342 tons to 444,181 tons.  At the same time declines were reported for phenol, acetic acid and isopropanol. 

Ethylene glycol production dropped from 169,900 tons to 120,588 tons, mainly due to the reduction of ethylene deliveries from Kstovo to Dzerzhinsk in the early part of this year.  SIBUR-Kstovo’s olefin production was affected in February by the drone attack at the end of January, affecting ethylene oxide output.  Russian chemical products which saw increases in the first four months included methanol where production increased from 1.296 million tons in the first four months in 2024 to 1.399 million tons in 2025, and styrene monomer where production increased from 235,534 tons to 256,205 tons.

Russian polymer production Jan-Apr 2025

Russian production pf rubber and plastic products fell by 4.7% in April against April 2024, including a fall by 13.9% in the production of plastic pipes, tubes, hoses, etc.  Specifically in the rubber sector, the production of tyres dropped by 16.9% than in April last year.  Sales of passenger tyres in Russia in 2025 were forecast at the start of 2025 to drop this year due to the decline in sales of new passenger cars.  Car financing has become particularly unattractive with interest rates holding at 21%.

Despite the fall in tyre production synthetic rubber production still increased in the first four months, rising from 502,241 tons last year to 526,141 tons in the same period this year.  Lower domestic sales have been compensated almost exclusively by a large increase in exports to China. 

Notwithstanding the slowdown in April, Russian bulk plastics production still increased the production of bulk plastics in the first four months to 3.700 million tons against 3.670 million tons in the same period in 2024.  The production of polyethylene rose slightly from 565,028 tons to 599,319 million tons, whilst the production of propylene polymers dropped from 383,888 tons to 373,977 tons.  Polyamide production dropped from 46,484 tons to 43,794 tons, whilst the production of PET increased from 207,442 tons to 224,414 tons. 

EU tariffs on Russian fertiliser exports

The European Commission is introducing a base rate of 6.5% to apply on Russian fertilisers from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, with an additional duty of €40-45 per ton on nitrogen and complex fertilisers.  it is planned to systematically raise rates from 2026 to 2028.  Russian fertiliser producers have reported good profits from exports to the EU in the past two years but now they will have to focus on the more remote and less affluent markets such as in South America, Africa and Asia.

Russian ethylene production Jan-Apr 2025

Russian ethylene production totalled 1.541 million tons in the first four months in 2025 against 1.616 million tons in the same period in 2024.  ZapSibNeftekhim at Tobolsk produced 516,874 tons in January to April 2025, down from 543,186 tons from January to April 2024.  Stavrolen at Budyennovsk reduced production from 121,078 tons to 112,830 tons in 2025.

Production in the Volga region dropped from 773,176 tons in the first four months last year to 748,699 tons in the same period this year.  This is partly attributed to the stoppage in February at the SIBUR-Kstovo plant which suffered from a drone attack at the end of January.   

Nizhnekamskneftekhim’s new olefin complex EP-600 is undergoing the various technical stages of commissioning, and s already producing small volumes of ethylene.  The new plant is expected to gradually achieve its design capacity by the second half of 2025.  Ethylene from the new plant has already been sent to the derivative plants of Nizhnekamskneftekhim and Kazanorgsintez.  Naphtha used by the EP-600 cracker is produced by mainly by the nearby Taneko refinery. 

Russian propylene production Jan-Apr 2025

Russian propylene production totalled 883,927 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 910,424 tons in the same period in 2024.  ZapSibNeftekhim at Tobolsk produced 339,302 tons in January to April 2025 against 369,081 tons in the same period last year whilst the plants in the Volga region increased production from 315,272 tons to 326,593 tons.  Production at the Budyennovsk plant in the North Caucasus dropped from 51,032 tons to 48,857 whilst in Siberia the combined production of the Tomsk and Angarsk plant resulted in 169,176 tons versus 175,040 tons last year.

Russian propylene domestic sales Jan-Apr 2025

Russian sales of propylene on the domestic merchant market amounted to 102,002 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 134,312 tons in January to April 2024.   

Lukoil-NNOS increased propylene sales from 71,018 tons in the first four months from 47,043 tons in the same period in 2024.  SIBUR-Kstovo reduced sales from 64,366 tons in the first four months in 2024 to 15,926 tons in the same period this year.  Production at SIBUR-Kstovo was disrupted by Ukrainian drone strikes at the end of January.  ZapSibNeftekhim reduced purchases of propylene in the first four months to 8,993 tons against 25,834 tons in the same period in 2024.  Saratovorgsintez increased purchases from 47,769 tons to 59,407 tons.  Saratovorgsintez uses propylene for the production of acrylonitrile. 

Russian plastics production Jan-Apr 2025

Russian bulk plastics production amounted to 3.700 million tons in January to April 2025 against 3.670 million tons in the same period in 2024.  Production has reached record levels despite recent signs of market slowdown.  In particular, pipe production from polymers declined from 351,736 tons in the first four months in 2024 to 302,466 tons in the same period in 2025. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Russia is working until 2030 to introduce a ban on the production of polymer packaging, such as packaging from expanded polystyrene, and films (PE, PP, PVC) with a thickness of less than 20 microns, as well as blister packaging (PVC, PET, PS, PP). 

Production of ethylene polymers in Russia amounted to 1.276 million tons in January to April 2025, up from 1.207 million tons in the same period in 2024. 

Regional production of ethylene polymers Jan-Apr 2025

The largest plant for the production of ethylene polymers is ZapSibNeftekhim at Tobolsk, located in the Ural Federal District.  ZapSibNeftekhim produced 532,458 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 553,957 tons in January to April 2024, nearly all of which comprised main polyethylene grades HDPE and LLDPE.

The second largest region in Russia is the Volga Federal District where production rose from 353,108 tons in January to April 2024 to 436,706 tons in January to April 2025.  The Volga district includes producers from Bashkortostan including Gazprom neftekhim Salavat and Ufaorgsintez, and from Nizhnekamskneftekhim and Kazanorgsintez.   Both companies in Tatarstan have increased production this year. 

SIBUR’s new pipeline connection between Nizhnekamsk and Kazan

While Gazprom is still considering whether to expand ethane supplies to Tatarstan, which would provide the extra feedstock for Kazanorgsintez, SIBUR is looking for ways to provide ethylene directly to the petrochemical complex at Kazan.   

Instead of using the old ethylene pipeline between Nizhnekamsk and Kazan, which was built in the 1970s, SIBUR intends to build a new pipeline with an ethylene throughput capacity of 500,000 tpa.  The new pipeline will run along a completely new route from the existing pipeline.

After the construction and start-up of the new EP-600 cracker at Nizhnekamskneftekhim SIBUR has been examining ways to monetize ethylene from the new complex.  One of the best options turned out to be to increase the production of polyethylene at Kazanorgsintez where SIBUR estimates it could sell around 141,000 tpa or 22% of total production from the new plant.  Nizhnekamskneftekhim and Kazanorgsintez both are developing production facilities, but it is not economic to build ethylene facilities on each site.  SIBUR has assessed that it is much more profitable to introduce capacity at one enterprise and feed the second from that plant.

Russian polyethylene trade Jan-Apr 2025

Russian polyethylene exports to China increased from 147,085 tons in January to April 2024 to 168,833 tons in the same period in 2025, with both HDPE and LDPE showing rises.   Average prices for Russian polyethylene exports to China dropped from $872.8 per ton to $851.7 per ton in the first four months in 2025. 

Inward shipments of polyethylene from China into Russia dropped in the first four months to 23,183 tons against 28,951 tons in January to April 2024.  Average prices increased from $1381.2 per ton to $1543.4 per ton in this year.

The largest volume of imports consisted of ethylene-hexene copolymers where shipments into Russia amounted to 7,162 tons against 7,959 tons in the same period in 2024.  The production of ethylene-hexene polymers is currently not possible in Russia.  A hexene plant is currently under construction at Nizhnekamsk which will allow the production of ethylene-hexene polymers in 2026.  For other product areas, Chinese shipments of HDPE to the Russian market dropped from 5,444 tons in the first four months in 2024 to 2,347 tons in the same period this year whilst LLDPE volumes stayed the same at 4,986 tons. 

Imports of polyethylene shipments into Russia from South Korea dropped in the first four months to 18,525 tons from 46,378 tons in the same period last year.  Average prices increased from $1221.6 per ton to $1262.4 per ton.

Russian polypropylene production Jan-Apr 2025

Russian production of propylene polymers totalled 761,323 tons in the first four months in 2025 against 765,750 million tons in the same period in 2024.  ZapSibNeftekhim reduced production from 402,078 tons to 383,552 tons in January to April 2025, whilst Stavrolen at Budyennovsk reduced production slightly from 47,317 tons to 47,021 tons.   The Siberian Federal District includes polypropylene plants at Omsk and Tomsk, whilst the Volga region includes plants at Nizhnekamsk and Ufa. 

SIBUR has developed a new grade of polypropylene for the production of corrugated pipes. The current demand of the domestic market is estimated at around 36,000 tpa.   Previously, the demand of domestic manufacturers of corrugated pipes was met mainly by imports.

SIBUR is currently constructing another polypropylene plant at Tobolsk.  This will be facilitated by the completion of the construction of the DGP-2 facility, which is currently being built on the territory of ZapSibNeftekhim at Tobolsk. The capacity of the new plant will be 570,000 tons of polypropylene per year. The launch of production is scheduled for 2027. It is expected that after reaching the design capacity, tax revenues to the regional budget will amount to about 100 billion roubles over the next decade.

Russian polypropylene trade Jan-Apr 2024