Plan foresees investment of US$ 130 billion by 2020
Valor Econômico
The Brazilian Chemical Industry Association (Abiquim) presented on Friday, in São Paulo, its project of expansion of the sector until 2020, in which it indicates that the industries need to invest US$ 132 billion in the coming years in order to remain competitive and gain greater relevance in the international market. The President of the BNDES, Luciano Coutinho, said the Bank has condition to support the expansion of the chemical industry.
The National Pact of the Chemical Industry, presented by entrepreneur Bernardo Gradin, President of the Board of Directors of the Abiquim, during the annual meeting of the sector, has as its strategy to position the Brazilian chemical industry among the five largest in the world, making the country have excess of chemical products and making it a leader in green chemistry. Currently, the country is in ninth place in the global market. Gradin affirmed the sector has to invest US$ 132 billion until 2020, which will allow the segment to leave the position of being deficient in chemicals. The sector should end this year with a deficit of US$ 18 billion.
Based on the growth of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of nearly 4% a year, a great part of the investments should amount to US$ 87 billion just to keep up with the growth of the country. Another US$ 45 billion should be invested to guarantee the increase of the production and to reduce the deficit in the sector. Gradin affirmed the Brazilian industries have competitiveness to explore the potential of the green chemistry through ethanol.
According to Gradin, who is the President of Braskem, the chemical industries of the country should end 2009 with net earnings of US$ 103.3 billion, a 15.5% fall compared to last year.