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| PAINT&PINTURA |Agosto2017
PROSPECTSREMAIN FAVORABLE
New forecasts forBrazil’seconomyhavebeenannounced
by the InternationalMonetaryFund (IMF),which raised its
expectedGDPgrowth rate for2017 from0.2percent to0.3
percent.The improvement isascribed to theGDP result for
the first quarter - 1-percent growth relative to the fourth
quarterof lastyear.
TheIMF’sforecastfor2017matchestheestimatefromecono-
mists in the Focus report, published by the Central Bank,
pointingto0.34-percent increase intheGDP.
For next year, the entity anticipates theGDPwill gain 1.3
percent, lowering itsprevious forecast of 1.7percent. That
demotion isassociatedwith thecountry’sgrowingpolitical
uncertainties and aweak demand for both products and
servicesinthedomesticmarket,whichwillcausetheBrazilian
economicrecoverytobemoremoderatein2018.Inaddition,
theIMFstressesa“strongdecline”ininflationandtherecent
depreciationof the real (Brazilian currency) on account of
thepolitical crisis.On theflipside, according to theCentral
Bank, economistshavemuchmoreoptimistic forecasts for
thecomingyear,announcinganexpectedGDPgrowthrate
of2percent.
Iftheprojectionsforthisyeardomaterialize,thentheBrazil-
ianeconomywillstartgrowingagain,whichhasn’thappened
fortwoconsecutiveyears.
For thepaint and coatings industry specifically, 2017 is ex-
pectedtobeabetteryear lduenotonlytoexistingpositive
signs, but also to the industry’s own initiatives. However,
accordingtoAntonioCarlosdeOliveira,executivepresident
atABRAFATI,thecurrentsituationstilldoesn’twarrantmuch
ofanoptimisticoutlook.“Salesfortheearlymonthsof2017
remainedstablerelativetothesameperiodoflastyear.Based
ontheseresultsandtheexpectationforstrongerbusiness in
thesecondhalf -awell-establishedtradition inthe industry -
weexpectaslightgrowth insalesfor2017overtheprevious
year. Suchgrowth is expected to exceed that of theGDP
byonepercentagepoint,whichwouldmeana 1.5-percent
increase inpaintsalesfor2017.”
Thatsaid,Abrafatialsoanticipatesthatmanyfamiliesarestillgoing
topaintbothindoorandoutdoorenvironmentsontheirproperty,
and that automotive refinishcoatings, for small repairs,will also
be indemand through theendof theyear,despite thecountry’s
political andeconomicuncertainties.Furthermore, there issome
expectation foraslightpick-up insales forvariousproducts that
arepainted, suchas cars andmanyother consumer goods, and
for projects concerning urban improvement and infrastructure
toberesumed,yetmodestly.“Also, there’sanothermajorfactor
abouttoboostbusinessthisyear:Abrafati2017,”Oliveiraenthuses.
Also according to the entity, the current scenario is a transient
one, asmid-termand long-termexpectationsare favorable. This
isbecause it isaratherbroad industry,withseveralopportunities
invarioussegments.
DonotmissthefullpieceonAbrafati, inwhich itsexecutivepresi-
dent talksaboutprojections for thepaint andcoatings industry,
andtheentity’snewplansandgoals,whiletellingusdetailsabout
the15theditionofthe InternationalCoatingsCongressand Inter-
national ExhibitionofCoatings IndustrySuppliers,which isgoing
tostirandheatup themarketplace fromOctober3 to5, 2017, in
SãoPaulo.
LucéliaMonfardini
INTERVIEW - NEW STRUCTURE DELIVERS HIGH-
PERFORMANCEADDITIVES
Evonikcompletesthereorganizationof its internalstructure
inthepaintandcoatingadditivesbusinessandcreatesanew
business lineworldwide -CoatingAdditives.
Over the course of 2016 Evonik carried out an important
process of internal reorganization in its business of addi-
tives forpaintsandcoatingswithaview tomaking thatbusiness
more relevant and concentrating it inone business line, which
contributedtothecompany’sdecisiontoacquirethePerformance
Material business fromAirProducts, inadeal thatwas sealed in
Januaryof2017.
Fromhereonout, thenewly-createdCoatingAdditivesbusiness
linewill beprovidingcustomersaround theworldwithall of the
