São Paulo – Brazilian exports of chemical products rose 24.2% in February, in terms of volume, when exports totalled 846,100 tonnes. In terms of value, exports reached US$ 661 million, 7.5% more than in January. In the accumulated result for the first two months of the year, however, foreign sales of chemical products totalled US$ 1.2 billion, dropping 29.6% against the same period in 2008. The volume to be exported, 1.5 million tonnes, declined 4.7%. The figures were disclosed yesterday (12), by the Brazilian Chemical Industry Association (Abiquim).
In February, Brazilian imports of chemical products totalled US$ 1.5 billion, dropping 22.6% over January. In comparison with February 2008, the reduction is even greater, 33.3%. In terms of volume, foreign sales reached 953,300 tonnes, reduction of 18.3% in comparison with January this year and 57.6% over February 2008. In the first two months of the year, imports reached US$ 3.5 billion, a value 28.2% lower than that registered in the same period in 2008. The volume of imports, 2.1 million tonnes, dropped 56.6%.
With the reduction of imports, there was a reduction in the chemical product trade balance deficit, which totalled US$ 2.2 billion in the first two months of the year. This value is 27.4% lower than that registered in the same period in 2008.
Purchases of intermediaries for fertilizers, the main item in the import basket of chemical products from the country in 2008, dropped significantly in the first two months of this year. Imports of these products totalled US$ 222.3 million, which represented reduction of 75% over the same period last year. In terms of volume, imports reached 504,700 tonnes, 80% less in the same comparison.
Thermoplastic resin has remained as the main chemical product exported by the country. In the first months of this year, shipments totalled 234,200 tonnes of thermoplastic resin, which generated revenues of US$ 201.2 million. With regard to the same period in 2008, the volume of exports grew 51.1%. In terms of value, however, there was a 19.5% reduction.
*Translated by Mark Ament
