São Paulo – Brazilian exports and imports of chemical products returned to growth in March. Foreign sales, of US$ 830 million, grew 25.6% over the month of February. Imports grew 18.1%, totalling US$ 1.8 billion. In terms of volume, shipments totalled 990,300 tonnes of chemical products, growth of 17% over February. Imports, at 1.1 million tonnes, grew 19.8% in the same comparison. When compared to March 2008, foreign sales grew 22.6% in volume and dropped 8.8% in terms of value. Imports dropped 5.9% in value and 21.6% in volume.
Despite the growth in March, in the accumulated result for the first quarter, imports of chemical products, which totalled US$ 5.3 billion, dropped 21.9% over the same period in 2008. Exports, of US$ 2.1 billion, dropped 22.6% in the same comparison. The trade balance deficit reached US$ 3.2 billion, a reduction of 20% over the first quarter of 2008.
Thermoplastic resins were the main item in the import and export basket of Brazilian products in the sector in the first quarter. Imports totalled US$ 528.7 million and exports, US$ 354.4 million. With regard to the same period in 2008, imports dropped 22.8% and exports 6%. In terms of volume, imports totalled 346,400 tonnes of thermoplastic resin, 10% less than in the same quarter last year. Exports, which reached 408,100 tonnes, grew 76.9% in the same comparison.
Imports of intermediary products for fertilizers dropped 76.3% in the first quarter, both in terms of value and volume in comparison with the same period in 2008. Purchases of these products, 772,300 tonnes, totalled US$ 280.8 million in the period.
*Translated by Mark Ament
