VZCZCXYZ0023
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBR #0376 0611706
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021706Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8272

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000376 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS USITC FOR L.M.SCHLITT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD ECON BR
SUBJECT:  Brazil:  Silicon Metal Statistics 
 
Reference:  State 4821 
 
¶1.  (U) Note:  Since there is no central repository in Brazil for 
retention of data on this industry, Post has not been able to obtain 
information in all categories requested for the period covering 
January 1999 - September 2002.  In several other categories 
requested in reftel, information was completely unavailable. 
Information presented in this cable was sourced primarily from data 
maintained by Brazilian Association of Iron and Silicon Metal 
(ABRAFE).  End note. 
 
¶2.  (U) As of 2006, Brazil had six companies involved in the export 
of silicon metal:  Camargo Correa Metais, Companhia Brasileira 
Carbureto de Calcio, ITAL Magnesio Nordeste S/A, Ligas de Aluminio 
S/A - Liasa, MinasLigas, and Rima Industrial S/A. 
 
¶3.  (U) Information on production and home market shipments for 
calendar years 1999 - 2002 is presented below.  No monthly figures 
were available.  Production capacity and capacity utilization 
figures requested were unavailable for this period. 
 
Production (quantity): 
1999 = 136,572 tons 
2000 = 166,344 tons 
2001 = 112,123 tons 
2002 = 133,390 tons 
 
Home Market Shipments 
1999 = 13,170 tons 
2000 = 18,643 tons 
2001 = 11,483 tons 
2002 = 17,459 tons 
 
¶4.  (U) Information on quantity and value of total exports for 
calendar years 1999 - 2002 is presented below.  No monthly figures 
were available.  Figures requested by reftel on specific export 
destinations were unavailable. 
 
Export Quantity/Value (millions of US dollars): 
1999 = 123,219 tons/ $136.717 
2000 = 154,009 tons/ $167.156 
2001 = 105,538 tons/ $113.339 
2002 = 148,040 tons/ $155.989 
 
¶5.  (U) No information was found on finished inventories. 
 
¶6. (U) The projected 2002 production change was 40 percent; for 2003 
it was 25 percent.  Data on when these projections were released is 
not available. 
 
¶7.  (U) Projections of Brazilian exports are detailed below. 
Information relating to a specific country is not available.  Data 
on when these projections were released was not found. 
 
2002 = 16.8 percent 
2003 = 22.2 percent 
 
¶8.  (U) Energy shortages in 2001 led to a reduction in Brazilian 
exports of silicon metal.  This was compounded by  high taxes 
assessed by the GOB on producers, which accounted for approximately 
47 percent of the retail price of the product. 
 
¶9.  (U) The below companies were producing silicon metal in Brazil 
during the period January 1999 - September 2002.  Companies that 
entered production in 2002 are so noted. 
 
Camargo Correa Metais 
Companhia Brasileira Carbureto de Calcio (3/2002) 
ITAL Magnesio Nordeste S/A (2002) 
Ligas de Aluminio S/A - Liasa 
Sibra 
MinasLigas (2002) 
Rima Industrial S/A 
 
Sobel