Brazil’s Pulp Exports Surge 19% in First Half of the Year

Pulp exports from Brazil grew by 19% in the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2023, reaching $4.95 billion. This performance was driven by increases in both volume and prices, with prices experiencing almost monthly adjustments during the period, hitting historic nominal highs.

These figures were reported in the Mosaico Ibá, a publication produced by the Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá), which represents producers of pulp, paper, wood panels and flooring, and cultivated forests in the country.

Brazil produced 12.7 million tonnes of pulp in the first half of the year, a 5.9% increase compared to last year. Nearly 9.5 million tonnes were exported, marking a 4% rise over the same period the previous year.

China remains the top destination for Brazilian pulp exports, totaling $2 billion in the first half of the year. Europe follows closely, with purchases amounting to $1.3 billion.

In the paper segment, production reached 5.7 million tonnes, a 6.5% increase, with packaging paper standing out with a 10.3% growth, totaling 3.2 million tonnes.

Exports in the paper segment grew by 5.2% compared to the same period last year, totaling $1.27 billion. Latin America remains Brazil’s largest paper customer, with purchases amounting to $689.6 million.

The following chart builds on DataLiner data, a Datamar maritime intelligence product, to provide an analysis of exports of cellulose paste from the Port of Santos between January 2021 and June 2024.

Exports of Cellulose Paste from Santos | Jan 2021 – Jun 2024 | WTMT

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

On the domestic front, sales declined by 0.7% between January and June, reaching 1.28 million tonnes. The printing and writing paper segment saw the most significant drop, falling 5.5% during this period.

External sales totaled 784 million cubic meters in the wood panel segment, a 57% increase. Domestic sales also saw a 13% rise, reaching 3.8 million cubic meters.

“We have observed growth in key markets, such as China, Europe, and North America,” said Paulo Hartung, CEO of Ibá, in a statement.

With these results, Brazil’s forest sector trade balance closed the first half of the year with a positive balance of $7 billion, a 14.7% increase compared to the same period last year.

Forest product exports increased by 13.8%, while imports grew by 3%.

Source: Valor Econômico

Original text available at: https://valor.globo.com/empresas/noticia/2024/08/21/exportaes-brasileiras-de-celulose-avanam-19-pontos-percentuais-no-1-semestre-diz-ib.ghtml

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