SAO PAULO (ICIS)--Here are some of the stories from ICIS Latin America for the week ended on 3 May.
NEWS
Besieged by
imports, Brazil’s chemicals put hopes on hefty
import tariffs hike
Brazilian chemicals producers are lobbying hard
for an increase in import tariffs for key
polymers and petrochemicals from 12.6% to 20%,
and higher in cases, hoping the hike could slow
down the influx of cheap imports, which have
put them against the wall.
Mexico’s
manufacturing slows on weaker exports, Chinese
competition
Mexico’s manufacturing sectors slowed down
slightly in April on the back of tough
competition, particularly from China, and weak
demand from abroad, which caused a fall in
output, analysts at S&P Global said on
Thursday.
Brazil’s
manufacturing at nearly three-year high on
booming demand
Brazil's manufacturing sectors continued
booming in April on the back of a sharp
increase in new business intakes, which led to
higher output and job creation, analysts at
S&P Global said on Thursday.
Mexico increases
PET import tariff again in attempt to shield
economy
In the last week of April, Mexican President
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador introduced an
amended version of the Tariff within the
General Import and Export Duties Law to enforce
import duties, or temporary duties, on products
falling under 504 tariff items, including
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin. These
new duties will vary from 5% to 50%.
Brazil's Braskem
Q1 resin sales fall 5% yearly, on prioritizing
sales with higher added
value
Braskem resin sales in its domestic Brazilian
market dropped by 5% in Q1, year on year, on
the back of prioritizing sales with higher
added value in the period, the Brazilian
petrochemicals major said on Friday in its
quarterly production and sales report.
INSIGHT: Six
decades on, Brazil’s Unigel founder fights the
ultimate battle
The founder of Unigel, aged 87, is actively
fighting the Brazilian chemicals and
fertilizers producer’s most decisive battle,
one for its survival, as it tries to
restructure its debts, one step away from
bankruptcy.
PRICING
Lat Am PE
domestic prices fall in Argentina, Brazil on
cheaper imports, soft demand
Domestic polyethylene (PE) prices fell in
Argentina and Brazil due to competition with
cheaper imports and soft demand. In other Latin
American countries, prices were unchanged.
LatAm PP domestic
prices fall in Argentina, Colombia, Mexico on
lower feedstock costs, soft
demand
Domestic polypropylene (PP) prices fell in
Argentina, Colombia and Mexico on the back of
lower feedstock costs and soft demand.