Revista Paint & Pintura - Edição 218

CLIPPING 6 | PAINT&PINTURA | Jan/Fev2017 INCIPIENT GROWTH Better thanwehadenvisioned. That describes the forecasts forthefirstfewmonthsoftheyear.Thefirstquarter isalready displaying reallypositive indicators.FinanceMinisterHenrique MeirellesanticipatesthatBrazil’sGDP(grossdomesticproduct) willgrow2percentbytheendofthelastquarterof2017.Infact, heproceededtosay,“we’regoingtoseegrowthassoonasthe numbersforthefirstquarterareannounced.” TheCNI (NationalConfederationof Industry), for itspart,anti- cipates thatBrazilwill slowlybounceback from its recession, and that its industrialGDP for2017will increaseby 1.3percent over2018.TheCNIalsoexpectstheBrazilianeconomytogrow 0.5percentthisyear.Oneothersignificantprojectionrefersto investments,which areexpected togain 2.3percent against lastyear.The inflation rate,alsoaccording to theCNI,will add upto5percentbythecloseof2017,nearthe4.5-percenttarget fortheyear. Keyindustrysegmentsaregraduallyshowingapositivereaction, thuscontributingtofurtherimprovementsineconomicgrowth forecastsforthisyear.Byall indications,thecountry isgoingto comeoutoftherecessionasearlyasthefirstquarterof2017. ThisissueofPaint&Pinturabringsyouanarticleonthelastevent heldbyABRAFATI(BrazilianAssociationofPaintManufacturers) in 2016, where its executivepresident Dilson Ferreira talked abouthis forecasts for 2017aswell. “Lookingat 2017,we still seeadifficultyearaheadofus,butweexpecttheeconomyto stabilize, at least tosomeextent, reversing the fall inourGDP andresuminggrowth,even ifonlymodestly.” Duringthatsameevent,FreddyCarrillo,chairmanoftheABRA- FATIManagementBoard,emphasizedtheimportanceofexchanging informationonexperiencesandsituationsgoingfarbeyondthereality anddifficultiesinthemarketplace.“Wearefocusedontryingtomini- mizethat impactandturnthingsaroundforgrowth intheyear2017. We’rerunningacampaignaimedatstimulatingtheconsumptionof ourpaintsandcoatings,whileobviouslycapitalizingongovernment programs,aswellasprogramsfromotherassociationsthatcanhelp usboostthecoatingsmarket,”hesaid. Onthefollowingpagesyouwillalsoseetheprojectionsforthisyear concerningproductsthatarecriticaltothepaintandcoatingsindustry, suchas inorganicpigments,alkydresins,andproductionequipment (mills,dispensers,andmixers). LucéliaMonfardini INTERVIEW -NEWCHALLENGES Chemours has been investingmoreandmore in initiatives designed to significantly strengthen its brand in theworld marketandensuregrowthforthenextfewyears. Thecompanystartedoperatingworldwideinthesecondhalf of2015, followingthespinningoffofDuPont’sPerformance Chemicalsbusiness.Currently,Chemoursoperatesasasepa- rateentityallovertheworld,withover200years’experience, US$6billion inrevenues,andaportfoliocomprisingtitanium dioxide,fluorinatedproductsandchemicalsolutions. TheBrazilianoperationhasnotseenanysignificantchange. Chemourshasmadenochangetoanyofitssafetyprocesses, technologies, patents, plants, products or specifications, andthesamegoestothedistributionchannelsandservices previouslyprovidedbyDuPont. Since theclosingof thedealwhich resulted in the spin-off, the company has beenworking at the transition from the DuPont to the Chemours brand, which involves investing to strengthen theirpowerbrands, suchasOpteon, Teflon, Ti-Pure, Krytox, Viton, andNafion. Inaddition, in itsFluoro- productsbusiness, Chemourshassimplified itsportfolioby rolling itsSuvaandIsceonbrands intooneandnaming it“Freon”. Chemour’s latestdevelopment for thepaintandcoatings industry is Ti-PureSelect TS-6300, anew titaniumdioxidegrade that provides maximumhidingpower inflat and low sheen interior andexterior architecturalcoatings, inbothsolventandwater-basedformulations. Inaddition,thecompanyhasmadeamajorinvestmenttoexpanditsAl- tamiraplant,inMexico,amountingtomorethanUS$600million,which hasadded200,000metrictonstoChemours’titaniumdioxidecapacity fortheglobalmarket,whilefavoringthecreationofnewapplications andsolutionsforthe industry. Available inPortugueseonly isan interviewwiththenewpresidentof ChemoursBrazil,MaurícioXavier,whowill playapart in leading the Braziliansubsidiary’sstrategyandexpansion,andClaudiaAntunes,the newmanageroftheTitaniumTechnologiesbusinessforBrazil. Inthat interview, theexecutivescommenton theircompany’splans, invest- ments,growthexpectationsandnewtechnologies,especiallyforthe titaniumdioxidemarket. INORGANICPIGMENTS-VISUALEFFECTANDHIGHPERFORMANCE The inorganicpigmentmarket isalwaysevolving.Manufacturersseek tomeet all kindsof customer-specific requirementseachyear, from