Russia’s petrochemical industry will face difficult times again in 2023 due to ever-slumping export figures, a lack of spare parts due to sanctions and weak domestic demand. At least that was the core thesis put forward by the economist Natalia Zubarewitsch, professor of economic and social geography at the Lomonosov Moscow State University, at a recent conference in Kazan, Russia.

She cited the dependence of Russian petrochemicals on exports to the USA and the EU as the reason for this. It is impossible to compensate for the loss of these sales markets by increasing exports to alternative markets such as India or China. In addition, the Russian plastics industry is heavily dependent on imported technology. However, numerous system components are currently difficult or impossible to obtain on the world market, especially due to the sanctions imposed on Russia. According to the Association of Plastics Processors RUSAPP (Russia), the Russian plastics industry is 90 percent dependent on imported technologies. Local companies have increasing problems with the maintenance of their plants./ Iranpolymer