Exports by the Brazilian chemical industry reached US$ 5.4 billion from January to September this year, 29.3% more than in the same period last year. Some 6.3 million tons of products were shipped, a 12.9% increase, according to the Brazilian Association of the Chemical Industry (Abiquim).
According to the executive vice president at the institution, Guilherme Duque Estrada de Moraes, the increase happened due to the increase in production in some companies, parallel to the increase in the demand in the international market, especially for petrochemicals.
There was a drop in the internal demand, during the second quarter, thus leaving more products for exports, and the prices rose. "The prices of the products we exported had high rate of exchange in the international market," said Moraes.
The result helps minimize the sector’s trade balance deficit. Brazil still imports more than it exports. Imports consumed US$ 11.3 billion and the accumulated deficit in the period was of US$ 5.9 billion. The volume of imports was close to 14.9 million tons, 17.6% less than in the same period in 2004.
Exports of products in the chemical industry go from substances to the production of medicines and even raw materials in the petrochemical sector. The industrial use of chemical products represent 86.3% of the income and 96.8% of the total volume of exports made up to September.
According to Moraes, the main chemical products exported by Brazil are calcinated alumina, silicon, polyethylene (thermoplastic resins), benzene and synthetic rubber. The most imported products, in turn, are raw materials for fertilizers (especially potassium chloride), followed by products for the pharmaceutical industry, pesticides and varied petrochemicals.
The Mercosur and the rest of the Latin American countries (except for Mexico) were the main buyer markets. Then come North America (including Mexico), the European Union and Asia. The products imported by Brazil come mainly from the United States and the European Union.
Agência Brasil