Brazil’s exports of commodity polymers trended downward through most of the first seven months of 2018. Imports were moderately higher; imports of fabricated plastic products rose strongly.

Through July 2018 Brazil exported 861,000 tons of commodity polymers, down 26% from the same period in 2017. Exports of all the commodity polymers were lower.

Polyethylene shipments fell by 17%, to 482,000 tons, mainly on lower volumes shipped within the Latin America region and declines also to Europe, which were not offset by higher shipments to China.  Exports of polypropylene of 264,000 tons were down 23%.  Smaller volume exports of styrenic polymers, PVC and PET also fell sharply.

Brazil imported 1.0 million tons of commodity polymers, up 7%. Most of this was polymers of ethylene, 502,000 tons, up 3%, North America and other Latin America top sources; polypropylene, 209,000 tons, up 16%, other Latin America and the Middle East main suppliers;  and PVC, 215,000 tons, up 13%, mainly from Colombia and Argentina.

Imports of fabricated plastic products trended higher, volume through July of 105,000 tons up 22%. PVC floor and wall coverings were 32,000 tons of the total, up 39%, most of which was from China and Taiwan. (Note: imports of this product from China may potentially be assessed a 25% tariff by the US.) PE and PP film/sheet accounted for another 40,000 tons, both up from the prior year.

From International Trader Publications’ “Brazil Polymer Trade Report”.