São Paulo – The Brazilian chemical industry should post US$ 130.2 billion in revenues in 2010, representing growth of 29% over 2009 and of 6.6% compared with 2008, according to estimates disclosed today (10th) by the Brazilian Chemical Industry Association (Abiquim), at the Annual Chemical Industry Meeting, in São Paulo.
According to the overview, chemicals for industrial use are the segment that should have the most revenues (US$ 63.8 billion), followed by pharmaceuticals (US$ 19.9 billion), personal hygiene and perfumery (US$ 13.8 billion) and fertilizers (US$ 11.2 billion).
According to the data, Brazilian production has grown by 75% since 1990 and by 5.8% compared with 2009. Domestic sales have risen by 52.2% since 1990, and 7.5% compared with 2009. The Abiquim estimates that imports should reach US$ 25.1 billion by the end of the year, as against US$ 23.5 billion in 2009. Exports should reach US$ 10.7 billion (as against US$10.1 billion in 2009), a figure that would result in a deficit of US$ 14.4 billion.
As for investment, the chemical industry spent US$ 2.5 billion in 2009. Approved and ongoing projects total US$ 11.9 billion. Projects under study total US$ 10.3 billion, whereas maintenance projects, processes and safety improvement, environment and equipment replacement have reached US$ 3.9 billion.
According to the Abiquim chairman, Bernardo Gradin, affiliated companies must start seeking solutions to the problems that the industry will face in 2011. He stated that investment needs to be sped up, otherwise there is a threat of the base industry running out of supplies.
"If Brazil continues to grow, then the consumption that we are going to make possible is going to lead to new jobs and tax revenues elsewhere." He believes that the favourable moment the country is experiencing must be seized. "It would be a regrettable waste of an opportunity for us not to speed up our industrial sector development programme," he said.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
