PRODUCTION of PROCESSED PLASTICS INDUSTRY GROWS 4.6% in the FIRST HALF

The production of processed plastics sector grew 4.6% in the first half of 2013, as compared to the same period last year, index 2.2% above the average growth of the processing industry.
According to the data of Econoplast, Economic Bulletin produced by the Brazilian Association of the plastics industry (ABIPLAST), the best performing sector was the laminates, with 7.5% higher than production for the first six months of 2012, this result more coupled to a point-in-time recovery after a long period presenting negative indices in physical production. Already the packaging segment, which recorded the best figures in the previous year, grew 2% in 2013.
The organisation works with the prospect of growth of 1.5 percent for processed plastics industry by the end of 2013, since the third quarter of the year traditionally presents the best indexes of physical production. However, unlike the first half of 2012, the basis of comparison will also increase, since last year the industry outlined recovery starting in August.
Among the industrial sectors, which were the largest increase found motor vehicles, a growth of 14.9%. This performance pulled the segment results of various plastic artifacts and contributed to the good performance of the sector in General.
Processed plastics sector generated 7.8 thousand new job vacancies in the first half of 2013, totaling, till June, 355.6 thousand workers registered. With this increase of openings at the beginning of the semester, employment in the sector has recovered and exceeded the value registered in 2012.
Productivity grew 3.7 percent in the first half, getting well above the 1.4 percent registered in the same period last year. The result also surpassed the established by the manufacturing industry, which was 2.8% in this range.
In the first six months of the year, the apparent consumption of Brazilian processed plastics reached r $ 29.3 billion, 6.7% higher than the value held in 2012. Imported products account for 13 percent of the market. Exports already are 5% of the volume produced.
Investments in machinery and equipment, calculated from January to April, also showed a significant jump. The funds invested reached R $ 733 million in the period, a rise of 40%. According to ABIPLAST, this high meant a return to average levels of acquisition of machinery and equipment and was also influenced by more positive expectations of entrepreneurs for the performance of the economy in 2013.
The Economic Bulletin of ABIPLAST highlights the high prices to producers of processed plastics industry in the first half, from 3.92% (indicator used aggregates also rubber-the producer price index (IPP/IBGE) – rubber and plastic). In the last 12 months accumulated, this percentage rises to 7.24%. Even when noted increases in thermoplastic resins, main component of the cost of the transformed plastic, the cumulative increases over the past 12 months were of the order of 15%.