With financial turnover of US$ 13.8 billion last year, Brazil jumped from the sixth to the fourth position in the world ranking of consumption of personal hygiene, perfumery and cosmetics products.
The figures are supplied by Euromonitor, which accompanies the consumption of the ten largest industries in the world.
The increase of national consumption of sector products was 34.2%, against a world average of 8.2%. The three countries ahead of Brazil are the United States, Japan and France.
"The expectation is that with annual growth of over 20%, the country may reach the third position in 2007 or, at the latest, 2008," stated João Carlos Basílio da Silva, the president of the Brazilian Association of Toiletries, Perfumes & Cosmetics Industries (Abihpec).
According to the Abihpec president, there are some reasons for this accelerated growth: the reduction of taxes on products like sunblock lotion, toilet paper and hygienic pads, the creation of new consumer habits and the consistent effort of the sector industry to launch new competitive products.
The Brazilian cosmetics industry has expanded its markets abroad, although the countries of South America are still the main destinations. In recent years, new markets, like the Arabs, have been added to the list of importers. The market in greatest expansion is that of the United Arab Emirates, followed by Lebanon, Jordan and Libya.
According to information supplied by the Abihpec, the organization is seeking expansion of the scope of sector buyers, mainly supporting the participation of Brazilian companies in international fairs.