Production
 
In Russia, there is only one manufacturer of amino acids – the Open Joint Stock Company “Volga Orgsintez” located in the city of Volzhsky, the Volgograd Obalst. The facility manufactures a single amino acid – methionine for animal feed. In 2008, the facility increased methionine production vs. the previous year by 2.3 and 30.4% in physical and monetary terms, respectively.    

As a rule, a significant portion of the produced methionine is exported. The share of exported methionine in physical terms amounted to 53.3 and 51.1% in 2007 and 2008, respectively. 

Import

In 2008 vs. 2007, the volume of import of amino acids demonstrated a rise by 20.0% and 46.4% in physical and value terms, respectively.

Four types of feed amino acids are supplied to the Russian market. Lysine is brought to the Russian market as hydrochloride, containing 98.5-99% of pure lysine. Methionine is imported to the Russian market mostly in the form of white crystalline powder with basic substance content of 99%. DL-methionine in liquid form is available in the Russian market under brand name Alimet® (Novus International, Inc.). Brand product Alimet® is an 88% aqueous solution of DL-methionine.  Threonine and tryptophan are supplied to the Russian market in the form of crystalline powder with basic substance concentration of 98-99%.

 
 
Source: Research Company Abercade
Market Research: Analysis of Amino Acid Market in CIS Countries in 2008

In 2008, the share of lysine in the overall volume of import was 75.3% and 60.8% in physical and monetary terms, respectively, methionine – 12.1 and 19.6%, threonine – 12.5 and 18.9%. The volume of tryptophan import into Russia is insignificant (same as in the previous years).
 
In 2008, the following five companies held leading positions as importers of amino acids: CJ Corporation (Indonesia); Evonik Industries AG (Belgium, Germany, Slovakia); ADM Company (United States); Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (France, Brazil) and Paik Kwang Industrial Co., Ltd. (Korea). The total volume of amino acids supplied by the five major companies in 2008 made up 79.4 and 80.3% in physical and monetary terms, respectively.
The last three years have been marked by some progress achieved by the Chinese producers. While in 2006 the share of Chinese companies in amino acid imports was 11.1 and 7.6%, in 2008 their share achieved 17.8 and 14.9% in physical and monetary terms, respectively.
As concerns supplies of L-lysine in 2008, the top position was held by CJ Corporation (25.4 and 24.0% in physical and monetary terms, respectively); DL-methionine – Evonik Industries AG) (80.2 and 78.2%); L- threonine – Star Lake Bioscience Co., Inc. (27.7 and 21.2%) and Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (27.1 and 31.2%); L- tryptophan – Ajinomoto Co., Inc., which for many years has been the only supplier of this product to the Russian market.
 
Export

In 2008 vs. 2007, the volume of amino acid exports reduced by 0.9% in physical terms and increased by 18.2% in monetary terms. In 2008, likewise in the previous years, there was just a single exporter (except re-import) - the Joint Stock Company “Volzhsky Orgsintez.”
 
Rating of Companies Exporting Amino Acids from RF in 2008 (in Physical Terms)
 

Source: Research Company Abercade
Market Research: Analysis of Amino Acid Market in CIS Countries in 2008

 Like in the earlier years, in 2008 Netherlands were the main destination country for exported amino acids. The share of Netherlands in the overall volumes of amino acid exports in 2006 made up 54.8% both in physical and monetary terms. Also, significant volumes of amino acids were exported to China (16.6%), Ukraine (16.2) and Poland (11.8%). The aggregate share of the four countries-exporters of amino acids in 2008 reached 99.4 and 99.3% in physical and monetary terms, respectively.

 Amino acids were not supplied to Belgium or Germany in 2008.
 
Amino Acids Market Size

As compared with 2007, the size of the Russian amino acids market enlarged in 2008 by 15.9 and 45.6% in physical and monetary terms, respectively. Import share in the volume of amino acids market in 2008 amounted to 73.5%. Export share in the production output was 51.7%.

In 2008 vs. 2007, the size of the Russian lysine market increased by 15.5 and 46.5% in physical and monetary terms, respectively. The capacity of methionine market expanded by 16.6 and 45.1% in physical and monetary terms, respectively. The rise of threonine market capacity was 16.1 and 45.5% in physical and monetary terms, respectively.  
 
This article is based on studies performed by Company Abercade