Reading the popular press or general financial news, one comes to understand that the Brazilian economy is in terrible shape, some sources say it is suffering its worst set of conditions in one hundred years.

Yet, if you listen to Pulp & Paper Radio International, or follow the industry news on PaperMoney, one will not discern that the pulp and paper industry there is any better or worse than it has been anywhere else lately.

As far as the pulp and paper industry in Brazil, mergers and acquisitions continue apace.  Construction projects and plans for new projects continue.  Business is normal.

I have had experience with the Brazilian industry since the late 1980s.  When I worked for Jaakko Poyry, we, of course, had a large office in Brazil.

In 1989, we had our annual worldwide executives meeting in Brazil.  Dr. Poyry brought along a large wad of Brazilian currency that he had had in his safe at home in Helsinki. This wad would not fit in a coffee cup, no matter how tightly you tried to roll it up.  In the 1970s, it had been worth several thousand dollars.  Our local general manager took a close look at it.  He told us it was worth about four US cents.

The Brazilian pulp and paper industry has a good history of surviving local economic disruptions.  Perhaps it can pull much of the Brazilian economy along.