Brazil. In mid-December, the 20th edition of the Annual Meeting of the Chemical Industry (Enaiq) organized by the Association of the Brazilian Chemical Industry (Aboquim) was held, where the country's performance during 2015 in this sector was analyzed.
The chemical industry was projected to close 2015 with net sales of US$112.4 billion, according to Abiquim estimates for the segments of chemical products for industrial use and specific associations of the pharmaceutical sectors; fertilizers; personal hygiene, perfumes and cosmetics; pesticides; soaps and detergents; paints, enamels and varnishes and artificial and synthetic fibres.
The revenue estimate for 2015 was 23.3% lower than in 2014, when the chemical industry earned $146.6 billion. Among the segments, the highlights were chemical products for industrial use, closing 2015 with a turnover of US$54.9 billion.
Despite declining revenues, the chemical industry still accounts for 9.74% of the Brazilian manufacturing industry, placing it as the fourth share of the country's industrial GDP. However, the chemicals trade deficit ends the year at $26.5 billion, the result of imports of $39.6 billion in chemicals and exports of $13.1 billion. The nearly $5 billion decline in deficit could be commemorated, not by the sharp drop in most of the country's domestic activity.
