12/08/2008 10h34
Sale of chemicals grows 19%
Gazeta Mercantil - 12/08/2008
The Brazilian chemical industry grew 19% in 2008, reaching net sales of US$ 123.2 billion, compared to the US$ 103.5 billion registered last year. With that volume, the sector stepped up to third place in the composition of the GDP of the processing industry, with a participation of 10.8%, and was responsible for 3.2% of the national GDP. The value puts Brazil in ninth place in the ranking of the international chemical industry. At the same time the imports went 48.1% up, reaching US$ 35.4 billion, compared to exportations of US$ 12.2 billion, in relation to last year. The deficit will reach record levels and it must exceed US$ 23 billion. The chemical products for industrial use were responsible for nearly 50% of the total net sales of the national chemical industry. Alone, the segment sold US$ 61.6 billion, with growth of 11.8% compared to 2007. The production of chemicals of industrial use registered a fall of 8.1% in volume due to the stoppages occurred in three of the four petrochemical centers of the Country this year added to the retreat of 23% in the activity registered in the last quarter of the year, according to data of the Brazilian Chemical Industry Association (Abiquim). The deficit was also reflected in the balance in the segment in 2008, reaching the record mark of US$ 19.8 billion. The prominence of the industry was the sector of fertilizers and manure, whose income grew 65.6%, to US$ 14.9 billion, doubling its share in the segment. Such products also pulled the imports up and were responsible for 40% of the purchases. Thermoplastic resins also increased the volume of imports from 4% to 21%. Personal hygiene, perfume and cosmetics registered an increase of 17% in sales, going from US$ 8.8 billion to US$ 10.3 billion. Pharmaceutical products registered growth of 20%, getting to US$ 17.5 billion. The survey made by Abiquim also shows that the companies of the segment have plans to invest up to US$ 22.1 billion until 2013, 54.3% of which concerning projects that have already been approved. "However, this amount can be reviewed, due to the crisis we are going through", affirmed Marcos De Marchi, Abiquim's economy commission coordinator and president of Rhodia.
