Brazil’s base oils imports fell in August to a four-month low, mirroring a slowdown in the country’s lubricants consumption.Base oils imports of 64,310mᶟ (56,970t) in August fell from 71,110mᶟ the previous month to the lowest since April, government data showed. The volume was almost unchanged from year-earlier levels..The drop in shipments cut the country’s total base oil imports to 537,900mᶟ in the first eight months of the year. The volume was down 30pc from 770,100mᶟ during the same period last year.Except for May and June, Brazil’s imports have fallen every month since last November. The rise in shipments during those two months in the second quarter of the year coincided with and helped to balance out a sharp drop in the country’s base oils output.The slowdown in shipments mostly mirrored a steady fall in the country’s lube demand. Consumption shrank in ten of the last 12 months to August.The lower imports added to a slowdown in lube consumption and demand for overseas base oils shipments in other key markets like Europe during the third quarter of the year.The trend complicated the flow of exports from the US. The country is the largest source of overseas base oils shipments for the Brazilian market and of overseas Group II base oils for the European market.Plant maintenance work in the US during the third quarter curbed the volume of supply available for export and eased the impact of slowing overseas demand..US' August base oils exports fall.Any requirement to boost US exports in the coming months would in turn increase the impact of slowing overseas demand in markets like Brazil.A steady flow of arbitrage shipments to Brazil from other markets like South Korea and India in recent months compounded the impact of its slowing import requirements..Brazil’s August lube demand falls
Brazil’s base oils imports fell in August to a four-month low, mirroring a slowdown in the country’s lubricants consumption.Base oils imports of 64,310mᶟ (56,970t) in August fell from 71,110mᶟ the previous month to the lowest since April, government data showed. The volume was almost unchanged from year-earlier levels..The drop in shipments cut the country’s total base oil imports to 537,900mᶟ in the first eight months of the year. The volume was down 30pc from 770,100mᶟ during the same period last year.Except for May and June, Brazil’s imports have fallen every month since last November. The rise in shipments during those two months in the second quarter of the year coincided with and helped to balance out a sharp drop in the country’s base oils output.The slowdown in shipments mostly mirrored a steady fall in the country’s lube demand. Consumption shrank in ten of the last 12 months to August.The lower imports added to a slowdown in lube consumption and demand for overseas base oils shipments in other key markets like Europe during the third quarter of the year.The trend complicated the flow of exports from the US. The country is the largest source of overseas base oils shipments for the Brazilian market and of overseas Group II base oils for the European market.Plant maintenance work in the US during the third quarter curbed the volume of supply available for export and eased the impact of slowing overseas demand..US' August base oils exports fall.Any requirement to boost US exports in the coming months would in turn increase the impact of slowing overseas demand in markets like Brazil.A steady flow of arbitrage shipments to Brazil from other markets like South Korea and India in recent months compounded the impact of its slowing import requirements..Brazil’s August lube demand falls
