São Paulo, 31 – Chlorine production grew by 2.2% in January compared to the same month last year, reaching 105.0 thousand tons, and caustic soda production increased by 2.5%, to 115.6 thousand tons, according to informs the Brazilian Association of the Chlor-Alkali and Derivatives Industry (Abiclor).
The utilization rate of installed capacity in the first month of the year was 81.4%, higher than the same month in 2016 by 2.2%. The sector's historical average is 87%.
Total sales of caustic soda registered an increase of 14.3%, compared to January 2016 and chlorine sales decreased by 3.3%, on the same basis of comparison.
“This improvement in indicators should be viewed with caution, as it is based on a very weak base”, states, in a note, the president of Abiclor, Alexandre de Castro. “It is premature to say that this recovery is here to stay. Only in two or three months will we be able to have a clearer picture of the market’s behavior.”
State Agency
