The Polish chemical sector recorded positive annual performance across all major segments in 2012, but the growth pace decelerated visibly compared to the previous year, in line with the slowdown of country’s economy and external demand. The situation is also partly due to high base comparison, particularly in the case of exports, which neared pre-crisis levels in 2011.
The growth of sales revenues in the chemical industry also eased visibly in 2012, to 5.6% y/y, from 10.5% y/y in 2011. Although the top chemical players reported rising y/y revenues in 2012, profitability deteriorated visibly following increase in raw material, natural gas and electricity. According to market data, 17 of the top 20 chemical players recorded y/y increase of revenues in 2012. In terms of net profit, however, more than half of them reported declining annual result.
Despite the slowdown of growth in 2012 and Jan-Apr 2013, the performance of the Polish chemical sector remains above the European average, where production contracted by 1.5% y/y in 2012 and by 2.1% y/y in Q1/2013.
Figure 1 Net sales revenues of chemical companies in 2010-2012 (annual, PLN bn)
These are only a few of the insights in the new Intellinews Report : Polish ChemicalSector. Learn more >>
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