Production of chlorine and soda is stable from January to July, says Abiclor

SAO PAULO-The Brazilian industries of chlorine produced 688,100 tons in the first seven months of the year, roughly the same amount registered in the same period of last year. Already accumulated production of caustic soda from January to July showed slight decrease, from 0.20% to 754,000 tons. The data were released by the Brazilian Association of the industry of chloro-alkali and derivatives (Abiclor).
Sales of caustic soda in domestic market retreated 0.8 percent over the first seven months of the year before and fell 3.9% less chlorine in the same period. The rate of capacity utilisation showed slight negative variation between January and July, from 0.20% to 77.4%.
"The fact that we''re practically at the same level of 2016, which was a bad year for the industry, means that we are still living a difficult period for the industry," says, in a statement, the President of Abiclor, Alexandre de Castro.
Chlorine, caustic soda and its derivatives are used on a large scale for the production of various industrial products, being fundamental raw material for the production of pulp and paper, aluminum, steel industry, hygiene and cleaning products, pharmaceutical industry , automobile, textile, construction, food and beverages, water treatment and sanitation, among others.