Chemicals in Brazil Current Demand Behavior Analysis¶
Demand Behavior¶
The demand for chemicals in Brazil, based on the provided reports, primarily originates from the Business-to-Business (B2B) segment. The "Final Products / Downstream Industries" are identified as the main customers, encompassing a wide range of manufacturing and service sectors that rely on chemical products as essential inputs for their own production processes. These industries include Plastics Transformation, Agriculture, Pharmaceuticals, Construction, Automotive, Textiles, Food and Beverages, Pulp and Paper, and Water Treatment. There is no indication within the provided text of direct sales or a significant customer base comprising individual consumers (B2C) within the chemical industry's value chain as described.
Detailed report on the number of individual and business consumers.¶
- Individual Consumers (B2C): Based solely on the provided analysis, there is no information available regarding the number of individual consumers as direct customers of the Brazilian chemical industry. The value chain described focuses on the supply of chemicals to industries that then produce final goods for consumers.
- Business Consumers (B2B): The business consumers consist of companies across numerous downstream industrial sectors in Brazil. While a specific total number of these business customers is not provided, the reports highlight the diversity and importance of these sectors to the chemical industry's demand. These range from large corporations in segments like petrochemicals and agriculture to potentially smaller enterprises in various manufacturing areas. The demand from these businesses is critical, as the chemical industry's health is intrinsically linked to their performance. [Abstract, Value Chain Definition, Final Customers Identification]
Table showing the growth/decline in the number of customers.¶
Evaluating the precise number of customers (businesses) over time is not possible with the provided data. However, the reports offer clear indicators of the trend in demand volume from these business customers for domestically produced chemicals, and implicitly, the challenges faced by domestic producers in retaining or growing their customer base against import competition.
| Metric | Period | Trend (compared to previous period) | Implication for Domestic Customers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net Revenue (USD) | 2024 vs 2023 | Decline (-2.3%) | Reduced value of sales to customers. [Players Analysis] |
| Import Volume (Total Chemicals) | 2024 vs 2023 | Growth (+11.5%) | Customers increasingly sourcing from foreign suppliers. [Players Analysis] |
| Import Volume (Resins and Elastomers) | 2024 vs 2023 | Growth (+32.4%) | Significant shift to imported inputs by plastics transformers. [Players Analysis] |
| Domestic Production (Industrial Chemicals) | First bimestre 2025 vs 2024 | Decline (-5.1%) | Lower demand for domestically produced chemicals. [Players Analysis] |
| Domestic Sales (Industrial Chemicals) | First bimestre 2025 vs 2024 | Decline (-11.8%) | Reduced purchases from domestic suppliers by customers. [Players Analysis] |
| National Apparent Consumption (CAN) | First bimestre 2025 vs 2024 | Decline (-5.0%) | Overall demand in the market (including imports) also slightly decreased, but domestic sales decreased more significantly. [Players Analysis] |
| Capacity Utilization Rate (Domestic Industry) | February 2025 | Low (57%) | Significant idle capacity, indicating insufficient domestic demand relative to potential supply or preference for imports. [Players Analysis] |
| Trade Deficit (Chemicals) | 2024 | High (US$ 48.7 billion) | Continued reliance on imports to meet domestic demand. [Players Analysis] |
| Trade Deficit (Chemicals) | 12 months ending Feb 2025 | Increased Slightly (US$ 49.59 billion) | Ongoing challenge for domestic producers to meet demand. [Players Analysis] |
| Projected Production Volume Growth | 2025 | Modest Growth (~+3.0% to +3.5%) | Potential slight recovery in demand or shift back to domestic supply, but contingent and contradicts recent short-term data. [Players Analysis] |
Based on the available data, the demand behavior from business customers for domestically produced chemicals shows signs of decline, particularly in early 2025, as evidenced by decreasing domestic sales and production volumes, coupled with a significant increase in imports in 2024. While the overall apparent consumption (including imports) might be more stable or show slight growth projected for the full year 2025, the data strongly suggests that domestic chemical producers are losing market share, implying a decline in the number or volume of customers they are effectively serving within Brazil. The high import volumes indicate that the overall number of consumers (businesses needing chemicals) may not be declining as sharply as domestic sales, but they are increasingly being served by international suppliers.
References¶
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