The average price for Turkish imports of styrenic materials plummeted 46.3% in the eight months to August 2020 versus the year-earlier period, according to data from Turkstat and the ITC. Average export prices over that time were down 16%, according to the data.

However, the trade numbers show significant differences in the ratios between the materials the country brings in and sends out. For exports, EPS is the dominant material at 81% of shipments. The leading material for imports is ABS at 45%, followed by polystyrene excluding EPS at 31%.

The disparity is reflected in consumption and trade data for the first eight months of 2020, when the share of imports in total domestic market consumption was 87%, and 62% of local production was exported. These rates are expected to rise to 88% and 66%, respectively, for the full year.

In 2020, production of styrenic polymers in Turkey, where more than 80% of the 235,000 t/y of capacity is for EPS, is expected to fall 5% versus last year to 181,000, according to projections based on the data. During the first eight months of the year, the rate of capacity utilisation for plastics production as a whole decreased to 69% from just over 72.2% in the year-earlier period, according to the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey.

The 2020 forecast of a decline in production will further buttress Turkey’s reliance on imports. Local consumption this year is expected to ease by 1% to 530,000 t, according the projections based on the Turkstat and ITC data. That still leaves a shortfall of nearly 350,000 t not covered by domestic suppliers, or a projected 1.2% increase in the trade deficit for styrenic materials. But in dollar terms, the shortfall this year is expected to improve by 52.8% to USD -246m from USD -522m in 2019.

Imports by volume in 2020 are forecast at 468,000 t – a 7.1% rise from 2019 – but the value of the shipments is expected to plummet 42.5% versus the previous year, according to the projections.

Export estimates for 2020 predict an increase of 29.3% by volume to 119,000 t, while the value is only expected to rise 8.6%.

In Turkey, 25% of total styrenic polymer consumption is in packaging, with 20% in construction, 15% in automotive, 10% in glassware, 9% in single-use and 8% in toy sectors. Other sectors account for 10% of total consumption.

The construction industry has waned of late following growth due to loan packages that began in June. Now observers are suggesting the sector could experience a downturn in the months ahead.

Domestic automotive production showed significant improvement in August and September, according to the local carmaker’s association Otomotiv Sanayii Derneği (OSD, Istanbul; www.osd.org.tr). In contrast, OSD data for the first five months of this year showed that Turkey’s total car output dropped 34% versus 2019 by May (see Plasteurope.com of 24.07.2020). The industry’s ODD (Istanbul; www.odd.org.tr) association of automotive distributors has upwardly revised its expectations for the year.

The pandemic has spurred demand for disposable plastics products, a boon for many styrenices materials. The sector is expected to grow 20% this year.