CLIPPING
PAINT&PINTURA |Novembro2016 | 5
ACHALLENGINGBUT PROMISING SCENARIO
Over the past fewmonths, following a recession period,
Brazilcanbesaidtohaveseenimprovementsinitseconomy,
includinggraduallybrighteningprospects,butthecountry is
stilllookingatahardrecoverygoingforward,especiallywhen
itcomesto investmentsand increasedconfidence.
Inflationforecastsfor2017fromfinancialmarketeconomists
published inOctoberhave slightly fallenback from5.04 to
5percent.
TheGDP(GrossDomesticProduct)hasexperiencedasteeper
fall in2016,measuredat3.22percentasof the lastweekof
October. For 2017, economists have lowered their growth
forecastfrom1.30to1.23percent.
As for interest rates, the financial market has published a
forecast of 13.5percent per annum for 2016. For 2017, the
estimate has remained stable in relation to the previous
forecast of 11 percent per annum,which suggests interest
rateswill continuetodecline inthecourseof thenextyear.
Theexchange rate forecast for 2016hasalsomoveddown
fromR$3.25toR$3.20,andtheexpectedratefornextyear
isR$3.40againstthedollar.
Oneother key itemof theprojections being announced is
the inflowofforeigndirect investmentstoBrazil,whichhas
remainedstableatUS$65billionforthisyear.Compensating
forthat, theprojectionfor2017 isarisetoUS$68billion.
Ibelievethat,astheresultofthe impeachmentproceedingssinks
in,themeasuresthatshouldpass inCongress,for implementation
bytheeconomicteam,willgraduallygetthecountrybackontrack
and,most importantly, reverse thedistrust createdby the crisis
inBrazil,whichdirectlycompromisesallpositiveactions taken in
connectionwith investments, andalso that thosemeasures can
assist inexpediting thecountry’s recovery.Thescenarionowbe-
ingenvisionedissomewhatcontributingtomitigatingthepolitical
uncertainty.Slowlybutsurely,everythingwillgetbacktonormal!
LucéliaMonfardini
INTERVIEW -EXPANSION INBRAZIL
TheArkemaGroupinBrazil,whichcurrentlycomprisesthecompa-
niesCoatex,BostikandUsinaFortaleza, isaglobalchemicalcom-
panyservingcustomersinthreebusinesssegments:performance
materials,industrialspecialtychemicals,andcoatingsolutions.Itis
alsoexpanding itsmarketshare intheregion.
Aspartofthe latestnewdevelopmentsatArkema,thecompany
has justopenedabranch inRiodeJaneiro,hasexpanded itsSão
Paulooffices, isgoing to launchnewproducts, andpromises to
growitsmarketshareinotherBrazilianregions.“We’reconsidering
localizingother lines ofmaterialswhich are currentlymanufac-
turedonlyabroad.Our localizationplansarewellunderway:new
products intheoil&gasmarket,newcoatingresinandadditives,
andnewadhesives,amongotherthings.Arkemahashistorically
concentrated itsactivities intheStateofSãoPaulo,butoverthe
pastfewyearswehavefelttheneedtoexpandtootherregionsin
Brazil,buildingontheirindustrialdevelopment,”saysEricSchmitt,
chiefexecutiveofficeroftheArkemaGroup inBrazil.
In the full versionof this interview, available inPortugueseonly,
youcancheckoutourinterviewwithEricSchmitt,aswellasMyrlla
Galdino,theofficer inchargeofArkema inRiodeJaneiro.
SPECIALAND EFFECT PIGMENTS -MOREANDMOREGLOSSAND
FUNCTIONALITY
Themostvariedof special effects,gloss levelsandcolorsarecombined
with a trend towards increasinglymore functional, high-performance
products.Accordingly,pigmentsuppliersareannouncingnewdevelops
and innovationsforthemarketplace.
Specialandeffectpigmentsfeatureuniqueglosspropertiesandarebroadly
used, especially in automotive, industrial anddecorative coatings. And
customerswantfurthernewdevelopmentsallthetime.“Nowadays,we’re
notfindinganynewspecialpigment,butneweffectsandimprovementsac-
complishedthroughnewtechnologies,thusimpartinghighperformanceto
existingpearlescent,aluminum,fluorescent,thermochromic,chameleon
andotherpigments.Themainimprovementsbeingdevelopedinpigments
refertotheirquality,whichproductsdeliveringbetteropticaleffectsanda
greatervisualimpact.Innovationscontinuewithpigmentsfeaturingmuch
largerornano-sizedparticles,greaterclarity,highgloss,andcolorchange
effects,”remarksBraschemicalmarketingdirectorLilianeSchwabLeite.
Lilianealso says that endcustomershavebeen tryingnewapplications
anddispersions,usingsyntheticmica,borosilicate,aluminumandpigment
combinationsinonepaintproducttocreateneweffects. “Effectpigments
featuringfunctionalityarealsothemostsoughtafter.Thebiggestproblems
