Ukraine's Centravis warns of delays of stainless pipe exports due to blockades on Polish border

MOSCOW. Nov 14 (Interfax) - Centravis Production Ukraine, a division of Centravis Ltd that is a leading manufacturer of seamless stainless tubes and pipes, has warned there might be slight delays with product deliveries to European customers because of blockades at three checkpoints on the Ukrainian-Polish border, Ukrainian media reported, citing the company's website.

"First, I would like to inform you of the current logistical developments that may slightly affect the transit of goods through the Poland-Ukraine border. Recent protests by Polish truckers have led to disruptions at the Yagodin and Hrebenne-Rava Ruska border points. Although the protests have slowed down traffic, they have not led to a complete cessation of movement," Centravis chief sales officer Artyom Atanasov said in a letter to clients posted on the company's website.

"Foreseeing these events, our logistics team has redirected freight to alternative border crossings, specifically Krakovets and Shehyni, to mitigate any significant delays," he said. The "resultant impact on our operations has been minimal," with delivery delays of two to seven days potentially affecting two clients, he said.

"Considering these developments, we have adjusted our delivery schedules to include an additional 10-day buffer to ensure we manage expectations realistically," Atanasov said.

Commenting on current operations, Atanasov said "production continues uninterrupted, with all resources including billets, energy, and water being readily available.

It was reported earlier that Centravis Production Ukraine plans to export 12,300 tonnes of tubes and pipes in 2023. This would be a 6% increase from 2022, when exports fell 33% to 11,600 tonnes.

Centravis was created in 2000 on the basis of the Nikopol Stainless Steel Pipe Plant and the service and trade divisions of manufacturing and commercial group Uvis. The company is owned by the Atanasov family.