Brazil PVC imports drop in Nov after tax hike

Market: Petrochemicals
12/12/24

Brazil's polyvinyl chloride (PVC) imports in November fell by 20pc from a year earlier after the government raised import taxes in mid-October.

PVC imports in November fell to 35,945t, down from 45,175t in the same period last year, according to data from Brazilian trade ministry database Comexstat. In terms of value, November PVC imports fell by 22pc on the year to $31mn.

Brazil raised tariffs on imports of polymers to 20pc effective 15 October from 12.6pc previously, in response to producers' request for trade protection.

Imports from Colombia, historically the top PVC supplier to Brazil, remained the largest in November, but volumes fell by 18pc from a year earlier. PVC imports from the US fell by 38pc in the period.

On the other hand, resin imports from Argentina and Egypt increased from November 2023, with PVC delivery volumes increasing by 55pc and by 65pc, respectively.

Year-to-date imports still point to increased volumes and values.

Brazil's PVC imports in January-November rose by 34pc from a year earlier to 500,803t, up from 374,425t in the same period last year. The value of those imports rose to $421mn from $325mn a year earlier. The top suppliers in the period were Colombia, the US, Egypt and Argentina.

To bolster the competitiveness of plastic resins made in the country, Brazil's major PVC producers, Braskem and Unipar Carbocloro, have jointly asked the Brazilian government to increase the 8.2pc anti-dumping tariff imposed on US-produced PVC.

By Fred Fernandes

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