Brazil inflation seen staying high in March on rising gasoline costs

Brazil inflation seen staying high in March on rising gasoline costs

Brazil's inflation likely stayed high in March on rising gasoline bills, reigniting cost of living problems in the country's stagnant economy and probably stoking more disagreement over policy, a Reuters poll showed.

Consumer prices cooled in the second half of 2022 in reaction to an aggressive tightening campaign by the central bank. But inflation pressures reemerged after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office at the start of this year.

The monthly report on consumer prices scheduled for Tuesday could again push back expectations for policy easing towards the end of this year and reinforce Lula's view the Bank's hawkish approach is proving ineffective. The benchmark consumer price index IPCA increased 0.77% in March, according to the median estimate of 13 economists polled March 29-April 3. This would stand very close to the 0.84% rate in February, which had been the quickest in 10 months.

"Food inflation should remain at low levels for this time of the year... (but) the partial resumption of federal taxes on gasoline and ethanol on March 1 will take a toll in the March IPCA," Morgan Stanley analysts wrote in a report. The reinstatement of taxes on fuels already tinged March mid-month inflation figures, which came in higher than forecast, dampening any expectations Banco Central do Brasil may begin to cut its benchmark rate, currently at 13.75%, in the short term.

The 12-month reading for last month is seen at 4.70%, under 5.60% in February and the lowest in more than two years due to base effects. Brazil's IBGE statistics agency will publish the data on Tuesday at 0900 local time (1200 GMT). A 0.77% inflation rate in March would result in a cumulative 2.2% clip in the first quarter, well on course to surpass this year's goal of 3.25% with a margin of 1.5 percentage points.

Last week Lula hinted the government may seek changes in the target to allow for rate cuts sooner, an idea central bank governor Roberto Campos Neto - a member of a committee that sets the goal - has rejected. The panel is comprised by the bank's chief and the ministers of finance and planning, who think the fuel tax and other revenue-boosting planned measures will help lower inflation by eventually closing the primary deficit.

We remind, Chevron Lummus Global LLC (CLG) announced a recent contract award from Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras) for a new 12,580 BPD hydroisodewaxing (HIDW) unit at the GasLub Hub, a lubricant plant in Itaborai, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Chevron Lummus Global's scope includes the technology license, basic design engineering, and research unit testing services.

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Russia boosts diesel exports to Latin America since EU embargo

Russia boosts diesel exports to Latin America since EU embargo

Russia has increased its diesel exports to Brazil and other parts of Latin America following an embargo on shipments to Europe, traders said and Refinitiv Eikon data showed, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Russia has long been the main diesel supplier for Europe, where refineries do not produce enough fuel to meet domestic demand for diesel cars. But a full EU embargo on Russian oil products since Feb. 5 has diverted Russian diesel exports to Asia, Africa, the Middle East and STS loadings.

Last month, Russia also sent more than 580,000 tons to Latin and South America, with almost 440,000 tons of those volumes heading to Brazil, another 140,000 tons are destined to Panama, Uruguay and Cuba, Refinitiv data showed.

In total, diesel supplies from Russia-controlled ports to Brazil totaled 663,000 tons in January-March, 2023 after 74,000 tons for the whole 2022, according to Refinitiv data.

At least one diesel cargo from Russia was shipped from one tanker to another near the port of Lome in Togo last month and was then headed for South America, possibly Brazil, according to Refinitiv Eikon data.

We remind, Singapore's imports of Russian naphtha nearly tripled in the first quarter of 2023, government data showed, after the European Union banned oil products imports from Russia. The Asia oil hub imported 741,000 tons of Russian naphtha in the period, accounting for about 23% of Singapore's total imports of the refined product, a Reuters calculation based on Enterprise Singapore data showed. This jumped from about 261,000 tons imported in the fourth quarter last year, the data showed.

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Hanwha Solutions signs MOU with 7 companies for bio PVC

Hanwha Solutions signs MOU with 7 companies for bio PVC

Hanwha Solutions Corp., a South Korean petrochemical company, is partnering with domestic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) companies to promote the commercialization of bio PVC, said Kedglobal.

Hanwha Solutions has signed on Thursday a "business agreement for cooperation in bio PVC projects for carbon reduction" with seven PVC processing companies including Dongshin Polymer, Dury Chemical, HDC Hyundai Engineering Plastics, Wonpoong Co., Jeil Wallpaper, TSC Construction & Chemical and Powerlab.

Under the agreement, Hanwha Solutions and each processing company will produce products such as flooring, wallpaper, pipes, tarpaulins (waterproof sheets) and wraps that use bio PVC for the first time in Korea.

Starting this month, Hanwha Solutions plans to produce bio PVC at its Ulsan and Yeosu plants and supply it to each company.

Previously, Hanwha Solutions obtained the ISCC Plus sustainability certification for the production and processing of bio PVC-based products last year.

PVC is a representative plastic material mainly used for building materials. Bio PVC is environmentally friendly because it uses plant-based raw materials instead of fossil fuels, resulting in less carbon emission during the production process, and it can also recycle waste cooking oil.

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LG Chem, CJ Logistics partner to recycle packaging wrap

LG Chem, CJ Logistics partner to recycle packaging wrap

South Korean companies LG Chem Ltd. and CJ Logistics have signed an memorandum of understanding on Thursday to establish a recycling ecosystem for packaging wrap at logistics centers, said the company.

CJ Logistics will collect the packaging wrap from logistics centers nationwide and deliver it to LG Chem for recycling into reusable wrap that will be supplied back to CJ Logistics. LG Chem plans to supply 1,000 rolls of reusable wrap this month and increase the supply volume by recycling additional packaging wrap.

Most packaging wraps are mainly made of polyethylene (PE) products and are used to secure items from shaking during transportation. Despite the annual generation of 800,000 tons of waste PE in Korea, only 40% of it is currently recycled.

LG Chem and CJ Logistics hope that their collaboration will help establish an effective way to collect and recycle packaging wrap from logistics centers.

Han Seok-hee, LG Chem's PO (Polyolefin) Sales Manager, said the agreement will contribute to building a plastic circular economy and carbon reduction for a sustainable future.

We remind, LG Chem will team up with Innerbottle and CJ Logistics to accelerate the construction of an eco-platform that will include plastic production, collection after use, and recycling. LG Chem announced on the 30th at the Yeouido LG Twin Towers that it signed the ‘2022 Resource Cycle Platform Construction MOU’ together with the innovative domestic startup Innerbottle and CJ Logistics. Department Leader of Sustainability1 Min-jong(Joseph) Lee from LG Chem, CEO Steve Seil Oh of Innerbottle, and Management Leader Heo Shin Yeol of CJ Logistics attended this event.

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D-Rex Polymer starts making green adhesive

D-Rex Polymer starts making green adhesive

South Korean petrochemical company DL Chemical said its subsidiary D-Rex Polymer on April 1 began production of an eco-friendly adhesive at its plant in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, under a plan to develop DL Chemical into a specialty company of high added value, said Kedglobal.

As a joint venture between DL Chemical and the American petrochemical company Rextack, D-Rex Polymer late last year completed the factory with annual capacity of 40,000 tons. After a trial operation of about three months, the facility since April 1 has produced the adhesive amorphous poly alpha olefin (APAO).

The completion ceremony held that day was attended by DL Chemical Vice Chairman and CEO Kim Jong-hyun, D-Rex Polymer CEO Kim Man-jung and Yeosu Deputy Mayor Kim Jong-shi. APAO is applied to bond types of plastics.

"D-Rex's APAO is non-volatile and has almost no odor," a DL Chemical source said. "We expect its use as a raw material for products coming in contact with skin like diapers and sanitary napkins."

We remind, Kraton Corporation, an American manufacturer of polymers and bio-based products based on pine wood pulping co-products, has decided to merge with DL Chemical Co Ltd, a South Korean arm of DL Holdings Co Ltd (formerly Daelim Industrial Co Ltd). DL Chemical will pay USD46.50/share of Kraton common stock in cash. The purchase value is a 50% premium to the firm's unaffected trading value as of early Jul 2021.

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