Exports of chemical products totaled US$ 10.4bn in 2009
Brazilian exports declined 12.2% in comparison to 2008 and equaled US$10.4bn in 2009. Imports faced a worse scenario, having fallen 25.5% to US$ 26.1bn. For the chemical products sector, the trade deficit surpassed $15.7bn, a 32.3% reduction compared to the previous year, mostly due to the impact of the 2008 crisis over prices and demand for chemical products worldwide.
Chemical products exports saw a 15% increase in their volume, totaling 11.9 million tonnes. However, imports plummeted by 21.5%, reaching 21.9 million tonnes.
Chemicals responded for 20.5% of the total $127.6bn in goods imported in 2009, and 6.8% of the $153bn exported in the same period.
Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay bought $2.3bn worth of Brazilian chemical products, amounting to 22% of exports. The United States, Canada and Mexico were responsible for 21% of foreign sales, with $2.2bn. The European Union was Brazil’s largest chemical products supplier again, with sales of $8.4bn.
