Plastic production resumes growth in the Country
DCI
The Brazilian plastic industries will have an increase in the gross sales of the coming years, after the 17% fall suffered in the first half of 2009, compared to the same period of 2008. The projection is made by the President of the Brazilian Plastics Industry Association (Abiplast), Merheg Cachum. The Board of Directors of the Entity believes that, with the recovery of the world economy, the plastics industry in Brazil and in the State of São Paulo should increase its earnings.
The gross sales of the sector in this first half amounted to R$ 644 million (US$ 374.4 million), whereas in 2008 the sales from January to July amounted to R$ 800.1 million (US$ 437.2 million). The President of the Abiplast says that "The whole sector in Brazil will present growth. Certainly, the tendency, I will not say this year, but in the coming years, is one of strong growth. Not only the companies, but the Governmentis also fighting for that".
Merheg Cachum emphasized that the main factors that will contribute for the resumption of the growth of the sector, which comprises nearly 11,500 industries are: the tax incentives guaranteed by the Federal Government; the exploration of the self-sufficiency in raw materials as a competitive advantage over other countries; and Export Plastic program that aims at creating an export culture among the industries.
For him, major international events such as the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics should also promote the plastics industry with the increase in the production of freebies, such as flags. According to the Abiplast, nearly 48% of the 11,500 companies of the country are located in São Paulo, which, besides being the State that concentrates most of the companies of the sector, is home to some of the industries of some of the most competitive sectors of the country.
Data of the 2008 Annual Listing of Information and Salaries (Rais) shows most of the destinations of the Brazilian plastics export are currently the countries of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur): Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina, with 31% of the exports; the countries of the Latin American Integration Association (Aladi) with 23%, of South American countries that do not integrate the Mercosur; the European Union, with 22%; and the United States, with 10% of the volume of exports.