12/05/2008 10h33
Brazil is already the 4th world producer of cellulose
Gazeta Mercantil - 12/05/2008
Even with all the adversity that affected the pulp sector in the last three months, Brazil ends the year leaping from sixth to fourth place in the world ranking of production of raw material, leaving traditional competitors like Finland and Sweden behind. The national production of pulp will increase from 7% in 2008, to 12.85 million tons. This year's volume exceeds Finland's production by 2.4% and Sweden's by 3.2%, the former fourth and fifth places in the ranking. With that, Brazil stays behind the USA, Canada and China in the world production of pulp, confirming its competitiveness that increases in view of the international crisis, according to data of the Brazilian Pulp and Paper Association (Bracelpa). "Unlike other commodities, pulp reached its goals and remained competitive", said the executive president of the entity, Elizabeth de Carvalhaes. According to her, the expectation is that this position is maintained next year, getting to 13 million tons produced, and the goal continues being to surpass China by 2015 at the most, due to the increases scheduled for the national pulp production. "The investments will be maintained despite the current problems", she said. According to the executive, the companies have only postponed the plans because of the crisis. "But in the long term, there will be a repositioning of the world market and Brazil should seek opportunities to take the spaces left by other competitors. The trade balance of the pulp and paper sector indicates expansion of 25% in the exports in 2008, going from US$ 4.7 billion to US$ 5.9 billion, compared to an expansion of 29% of the imports, going from US$ 1.3 billion to US$ 1.7 billion, amounting to an increase of 23.2%. The participation of the sector in the Brazilian trade balance already reaches 17.4%. Among the main destinations of the sector are Europe, with 52% of share, North America (19%), China (18%) and other regions of Asia and Australia (10%).
