Brazil trade gap soars 64.5% on fertilizers

15 May 2008 20:58  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--Brazil’s January-April chemical trade gap soared by 64.5% to $5.4bn (€3.5bn) from a year earlier on strong demand for fertilizer intermediates, pharmaceutical products and thermoplastic resins, industry association Abiquim said on Thursday.

Abiquim said the three groups accounted for nearly 40% of all Brazilian imports in January-April, with fertilizers topping shipments at $1.6bn, followed by pharmaceuticals ($995m) and thermoplastic resins ($920m).

Brazil’s chemical imports in January-April totalled $9bn, a 36% increase from a year earlier. Chemical products accounted for nearly 19% of all Brazilian imports in the period, the association said.

On the export side, Brazil in January-April shipped $3.6bn worth of chemical products, a 9% increase from $3.3bn in the same months of 2007, Abiquim said.

The top chemicals exported were thermoplastic resins, at $487m, additives for industrial use ($304m), and basic petrochemicals ($232m), the association said.

($1 = €0.65)

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By: William Lemos
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