São Paulo – In 2008, Brazil imported US$ 35.1 billion in chemical products, growth of 46.6% over 2007. In the same comparison, exports grew 11.3%, totalling US$ 11.9 billion. The record result in imports contributed to a deficit of US$ 23.2 billion in the sector trade balance. This information was disclosed by the Brazilian Chemical Industry Association (Abiquim).
Purchases of intermediary products for fertilizers, the main item in the chemical product import basket, exceeded US$ 9.2 billion last year. Pharmaceutical products also had great participation in imports, totalling US$ 6.4 billion.
Sales of thermoplastic resin and additives for industrial use represented the greatest part of exports of Brazilian chemical products in 2008. Sales reached US$ 931 million in additives for industrial use, a value 23.8% greater than the total for 2007. Despite the reduction of 17.5% in sales when compared to the previous year, thermoplastic resin reached US$ 1.5 billion in exports.
In terms of volume, the quantity of chemical products traded in 2008 was almost the same as that registered in the previous year. Brazil imported 27.9 million tonnes of chemical products, growth of 0.1% over 2007.
Foreign sales dropped 0.2% in the same comparison, totalling 10.3 million tonnes. Last year, participation of chemical products was 20.2% in the total US$ 173.2 billion in products shipped by the country. With regard to exports, which totalled US$ 197.9 billion, participation was 6%, the same average registered in recent years.
The countries of the Mercosur and North America were the main buyers of Brazilian chemical products. Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay imported US$ 3.1 billion in Brazilian chemical products in 2008, representing 26% of total exports. The United States, Canada and Mexico purchased over US$ 2.5 billion, equivalent to 21% of foreign sales.
The main Brazilian suppliers of chemical products were the countries in North America and the European Union, and each group of countries was responsible for 27% of total Brazilian exports. Brazil purchased US$ 9.6 billion in chemical products from North America and US$ 9.3 billion from the European Union. The Arab nations are also important suppliers of these products.
*Translated by Mark Ament
