Brazil P&P Exports Remain High through First Two Months of 2014

In the first two months of 2014, Brazilian pulp production increased 4.5% and paper production increased 1.7%, compared with the same period in 2013, according to a report by BRACELPA, Brazil. Pulp production totaled 2.5 million metric tons and paper production totaled 1.7 million metric tons.

Pulp exports increased 17.9%, from 1.4 million tons in the first two months of 2013 to a little more than 1.6 million tons in the same period this year, where a record high of 7.7% in paper exports was ascertained, totaling 321,000 metric tons of the product. With that, the industry’s trade balance totaled $1.2 billion, an increase of 15.9% compared with the first two months of 2013. Europe and China are still the main destinations for Brazilian pulp, which generates approximately 43% and 32% of the product’s foreign sales revenues, respectively. North America has a share of approximately 16%.

In relation to paper, Latin America continues to be the main market for the product and accounts for approximately 52% of February YTD export revenues, followed by Europe and North America, accounting for 16% and 14%, respectively. Shipments to North America increased 29% in the first couple of months of the year, y-o-y. Paper sales in the domestic market totaled 910,000 metric tons, with a high of 2.7%, y-o-y.

TAPPI
http://www.tappi.org/