Latin America stories: weekly summary

SAO PAULO (ICIS)–Here are some of the stories from ICIS Latin America for the week ended on 19 January.

NEWS
Brazil’s state of Ceara, Bp sign MoU for green hydrogen site
The government of the Brazilian state of Ceara and UK-headquartered energy major Bp signed this week a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build a green hydrogen site.

Colombia’s industrial output falls 3% in November
Colombia’s industrial production fell by 3% in November, year on year, the country’s statistical agency Dane said on Wednesday.

Braskem’s German site to produce PP with plastic waste supplied by Shell
Energy major Shell is to supply Braskem’s site in Wesseling, Germany with mixed plastic waste for production of polypropylene (PP), the Brazilian petrochemicals major said on Wednesday.

Italy’s Italmach acquires Brazilian water treatment chemicals producer Alcolina
Italmatch Chemicals has agreed to purchase Brazilian chemicals producer Alcolina, which specialises in water treatment for the production of bioethanol, sugar and other industrial applications, the Italian chemicals producers said on Tuesday.

PRICING
LatAm PE buyers wait for fresh US export offers
This week, US producers have withheld their export offers waiting to see if there was any impact on plants due to the severe weather.

LatAm PP prices increase in Mexico on higher feedstock costs
Domestic polypropylene (PP) prices increased in Mexico on the back of higher feedstock costs. In other Latin American (LatAm) countries, prices remained unchanged.

Brazil, Argentina reducing PVC prices
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) prices in Brazil saw a decline this week, driven by market dynamics, with demand still grappling with challenges due to the unclear economic outlook in 2024.

Plant status: Unipar’s Argentina mercury caustic soda plant restarts
Unipar’s caustic soda production facilities in Bahia Blanca, Argentina, restarted partially on 9 January after a power outage in December forced a shutdown. The facilities have a caustic soda production capacity of 95,000 tonnes/year and 85,000 tonnes/year for its derivative chlorine. The company said the plant will be fully back online by the end of January.

Latin America base oil demand nearly halts in November
Latin America’s lube demand growth almost halted in November amid shrinking consumption in Mexico and Argentina and a slowdown in demand in Brazil. Lube demand of less than 170,000 tonnes in November rose by 1% from year-earlier levels, government and industry data showed.

Anhydrous ethanol prices fall in Brazil
Anhydrous ethanol prices decreased this week, based on market input. Supply and demand seem to be relatively balanced, with good production results accumulated until December.

PET prices increasing in Colombia and Chile
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) prices in Colombia and Chile are firm this week, following the recent price fluctuations in international markets. Demand is relatively stable in both countries, and supply is ample, particularly from the Asia region.