Latin America
by Charles W. Thurston
Latin America Correspondent
thurstoncw@rodmanmedia.com
Brazil’s flat economy has inspired manufacturers of paint and coatings to turn to export markets to make up for lost domestic sales, reckons Antônio Valdinei
da Rocha, the manager of exports and imports for Universo
Tintas, based in Diadema, Sao Paulo state. “Although exports
have not been a significant part of sales, we hope to double
them in the next year or so, with targets in South America,
the Middle East and Africa,” said Da Rocha.
Privately-held Universo, which manufactures architectural
paints for home, wood and metal applications, already is exporting to the other member countries of Mercosul, the Common
Market of the South, and to Peru. “We are now negotiating sales
into Paraguay, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador and other countries in
Latin America,” said Da Rocha.
Universo also is exporting paint to unidentified Middle East
and African countries, and hopes to augment sales. One marketing tool the company has employed for those regions is attendance at the Big Five trade show in Dubai, which it has attended
twice, gaining a new customer in Angola, Da Rocha noted.
Brazilian company attendance is promoted through the Câmara
de Comércio Árabe Brasileira, the Arab-Brazilian chamber of
commerce, and through the Agência Brasileira de Promoção de
Exportações e Investimentos (Apex), the federal export promotion agency.
To strengthen its export potential, Universo has gained
certification by the Portuguese Institute for Accreditation
(IPAC), a member of European Accreditation (EA). Similarly,
the company has ISACert recognition, a member of the Dutch
Council for Accreditation RvA), which covers Africa, Asia
and other regions.
Domestic costs of production, transportation and warehousing have risen markedly over the past year, Da Rocha said. New
federal import taxes for paint raw materials increased, and
electricity prices for industrial customers were bumped up 30
percent as of March, he noted. While the company does not
reveal production or sales numbers, on-site tank storage capacity for water-based lines is sufficient to supply five million liters
per month, company profile information indicates. Another two
million liters per month of solvent-based paints and coatings are
also manufactured by the plant.
To help hold the line in the Brazilian market, Universo re-
branded two lines of paint recently and is promoting a very
concentrated line. Among rebranding moves, the company’s
top-of-the-line acrylic Premium Polycril is now sold as Tinta
Acrilica Premium Universo; similarly the economy line acrylic
Rilaplast is now sold as Tinta Acrilica Economica Universo.
Within the economy lines, Unilar is also a new brand.
“We also are promoting our concentrated Rende Muito
Mais (covers much more) architectural line, which can be di-
luted up to 80 percent with water. While the middle class had
grown substantially in past years, this upward movement has
slowed dramatically of late,” Da Rocha said.
In terms of specialty paints, Universo launched an antibacte-
rial/antifungal product, Tinta Higiênica Universo, that is now
gaining traction. With electrostatic additives from Clariant,
the paint repels microorganisms seeking to attach to the paint
surface. Universo has gained certification for the product un-
der Japan’s JIS Z 2801:2006 Antimicrobial Products code, Da
Rocha says. The line is available in acrylic, enamel and epoxy
finishes, in five basic colors. CW
Brazil Economic Doldrums Inspire Exports
