Deficit in chemicals back in Q1

The accumulated deficit of the trade balance of chemical products reached $ 6.0 billion in the first quarter of the year. The value represents a fall of 5.9% compared to the same period in 2014. In the last 12 months (April 2014 and March 2015), the deficit exceeds $ 30.8 billion.
In the first three months of 2015, imports of chemical products were $ 9.1 billion, a decline of 6.8% over the same period of the previous year. Already exports, $ 3.1 billion, showed a reduction of 8.5 percent on the same comparison.
The middlemen for fertilizers were the main agenda item of Brazilian import of chemical products, with purchases of $ 1.2 billion in the first quarter of this year, outpacing imports of thermoplastic resins, which totaled $ 1.1 billion last year.
In volume terms, imports of chemicals totaled 7.5 million tons between January and March, while exports were about 3.7 million tons, respectively, a drop of 4.2% and an increase of 6.7% compared to the first quarter of 2014.
In March, foreign purchases of chemical products reached $ 3.2 billion, an increase of 15.6% compared to February. Exports of $ 1.1 billion, had, in turn, increase of 28.5% in equal comparison. Compared to March 2014, were recorded 2.3% fall in imports and an increase of 7.4% of exports.
For Foreign Trade Affairs Director of the Brazilian chemical industry Association – Abiquim, Denise Naranjo, the first quarter of 2015 was particularly delicate for the entire manufacturing industry, justifying a reduction of 5.9% of the trade deficit on chemicals. "The reduction in industrial activity and the uncertainty about future economic prospects for the whole course of 2015, linked to the strong devaluation of the real against the dollar in the first months of the year, made less inputs and raw materials were demanded by the Country and hence the reflections spread naturally to the Brazilian foreign trade of chemicals", says the Director.