Isaura Daniel*
isaura.daniel@anba.com.br
São Paulo – Brazil has expanded imports of chemical products from the countries in the League of Arab States by 201% in the first four months of this year over the same period last year. Figures by the Brazilian Chemical Industry Association (Abiquim) show that the Brazilian market purchased US$ 283.7 million in this kind of product from the Arab world between January and April. In the same months in 2007, purchases totalled US$ 91.4 million. According to the Abiquim, Brazil imports from the Arab world mainly intermediary products for fertilizers.
The increase in exports from the Arab countries to Brazil was much greater than the growth in sector imports as a whole. The Brazilian market has expanded purchases of chemical products by 36.4% in the first four months of this year over the same period in 2007. Expenses totalled US$ 9 billion with imports of chemical products from January to April this year.
The chemicals most imported by the country were inputs for fertilizers, with US$ 1.6 billion, followed by medication for human use, with US$ 995.7 million and thermoplastic resin, with US$ 920.3 million. In the month of April alone, there was significant growth in imports – 43.6% – over the same month in 2007. They reached US$ 2.2 billion. As against March the growth was 17.6%.
The country also exported chemical sector products to the Arab nations, but sales dropped early this year. They fell from US$ 64.9 million in January to April 2007 to US$ 40.1 million in the same months of 2008. The reduction was 38%. The products sold, also according to the Abiquim, were basically inorganic chemicals. General exports of chemicals from Brazil, however, grew 8.5% in the accumulated result for the year up to April. Exports totalled US$ 3.6 billion, against US$ 3.3 billion up to April 2007.
The chemical products that Brazil most exported in the four months were thermoplastic resins, with US$ 487.7 million, additives for industrial use, with US$ 303.7 million, and basic chemical products, with US$ 232.2 million. The sector trade balance deficit between January and April reached US$ 5.4 billion, according to the Abiquim. The value is 64.5% greater than that generated in the same period in 2007. Chemical products answered to 18.7% of Brazilian imports in the first four months.
*Translated by Mark Ament
