Latin America stories: weekly summary

SAO PAULO (ICIS)–Here are some of the stories from ICIS Latin America for the week ended on 5 April.

NEWS
Mexico’s automotive output falls nearly 13% in March
Mexico’s automotive sector output fell by 12.75% in March, month on month, to just over 300,000 units, the country’s statistical office Inegi said on Wednesday.

Sanitation framework, nascent LatAm lithium industry keeping Brazil’s chloralkali afloat – Abiclor
Brazil’s chlorine and caustic soda sectors have kept afloat in better health than the wider chemicals industry as sanitation plans and new lithium exploitations across Latin America keep demand high, according to the director general at the country’s trade group Abiclor.

Brazil’s chemicals, industrial output falls in February
Brazil’s chemicals output fell in February by 3.5%, month on month, one of the largest falls among the subsectors measured, the country’s statistical office IBGE said on Wednesday.

Petrobras ‘proactively’ engaging with Federal auditor about tolling contract with Unigel
Petrobras continues to “clarify in a timely manner” all the information requested by the Federal auditor regarding its tolling contract with Unigel, a spokesperson for the Brazilian energy major said to ICIS on Tuesday.

Brazil’s Unigel postpones Q4 results amid debt restructuring
Unigel has postponed the publication of its Q4 and 2023 financial results as its debt restructuring is ongoing, the Brazilian chemicals and fertilizers producer said on Tuesday.

MOVES: Brazil’s Unipar appoints Alexandre Jerussalmy as CFO
Unipar has appointed Alexandre Jerussalmy as CFO and investor relations officer, effective immediately, the Brazilian chemicals producer said on Tuesday.

Colombia’s manufacturing slows down in March on lower sales
Colombia’s manufacturing output growth slowed down in March on the back of lower sales, although it marked its third month in expansion territory, analysts at S&P Global said on Monday.

Brazil’s manufacturing March output healthy on new orders, fueling job creation
Brazil’s manufacturing continued expanding at pace in March on the back of a healthy new order book, prompting firms to increase workforces, S&P Global said on Monday.

Mexico’s manufacturing steady in March but subdued US demand causes concern
Mexico’s manufacturing output stayed stable in March but firms are getting increasingly worried about lower demand from the US, the key market for the country’s export-intensive manufacturers, analysts at S&P Global said on Monday.

PRICING
Lat Am PP domestic prices down in Argentina, Mexico on lower US PGP spot prices, weak demand
Domestic polypropylene (PP) prices dropped in Argentina and Mexico on the back of lower US spot propylene prices and weak demand. In other Latin American countries, prices remained steady.

LatAm PE international prices steady to lower on lower US export offers
International polyethylene (PE) prices were assessed as steady to lower on the back of lower US export offers.

Ethanol prices in Brazil experiencing surges during April
The prices of hydrous ethanol surged during the initial week of April, propelled by consistent strong sales in Brazil.

Unigel to raise PS April prices in Brazil
Unigel is seeking an 11% price increase on all grades of polystyrene (PS) sold in Brazil starting on 1 April, according to a customer letter.

Innova seeks April PS price increase in Brazil
Innova is seeking a real (R) 1,000/tonne ($200/tonne) price increase, excluding local taxes, on all grades of polystyrene (PS) sold in Brazil starting on 1 April, according to a customer letter.