Volume 4 Issue 34
BR Distribuidora Changes Name
August 25, 2021BR Distribuidora S.A., the largest lubricants distributor in Brazil, is rebranding to become Vibra Energia, the company announced last week. Vibra was formerly the fuels and lubricants distribution arm of Brazil’s state-owned Petrobras, but began its privatization process in 2019 and became 100% independent in June 2021.
Indorama Acquires Brazil’s Oxitena
August 25, 2021Indorama Ventures Public Co., a global chemicals producer based in Thailand, agreed to acquire Brazil-based Oxiteno S.A. Industria e Comercio for $1.3 billion, with a deferred $150 million payment in 2024. Oxiteno’s key products include surfactants; it also produces fatty acids, fatty alcohols, ethanolamines and brake fluids.
Additives Sales Rose Again in July
August 25, 2021Lubricant additive sales volumes in the United States were up slightly in July, compared to June, and much higher than in the same month of 2020, according to statistics released last week by the American Chemistry Council. The trade association says 2021 could be a strong year for specialty chemical sales if the economic recovery continues.
Briefly Noted
August 25, 2021Vehicle production in Brazil fell to 163,600 units in July, a 4.2% decline from the same month in 2020 and down 2% from June, according to a monthly survey by the National Association of Automotive Vehicle Manufacturers. It was the lowest production total for July since 2003, and the association attributed the decline to stoppages at some factories due to the lack of semiconductors that integrate electronic equipment in vehicles.