São Paulo – Brazil returned to exporting over US$ 1 billion in chemical products in the month. The result was obtained in September, according to figures disclosed by the Brazilian Chemical Industry Association (Abiquim). This figure had not been obtained since October last year.
However, there was 9.5% reduction in foreign sales over the same month last year. When compared to August, however, they advanced 13%. The sector product that Brazil exported most, in September, was thermoplastic resin. With sales of resins, the country had revenues of US$ 155 million.
From January to September, Brazilian exports of chemical products dropped 18.3% over the same months in 2008. They totalled US$ 7.4 billion. The volume exported was 8.8 million tonnes, 18.1% more than in the same period last year. In the accumulated result for the year, resins were also the main item in the basket, with US$ 1.2 billion.
Imports of chemical products, however, grew 10.3% in September, as against August, reaching US$ 2.7 billion. But they were lower than imports in September last year – US$ 2.9 billion. From January to September, Brazil imported US$ 18.6 billion in chemical products. The Brazilian trade balance deficit in the chemical product sector up to September exceeds US$ 11.2 billion.
*Translated by Mark Ament
