There appears to be a consensus that the USA, which announced the largest economic
stimulus package, will come out of the recession in the second half of 2009, thereby
helping to bring stabilization and growth to other regions. This scenario, together with the
cutbacks in existing capacity and the postponement or cancellation of new projects, should
arrest the decline in the balance between supply and demand, offering the possibility of an
improved outlook for the industry before the end of 2009.
Once the global financial crisis took a turn for the worse, with the ensuing slackening of the
leading economies and reduced demand for the principal commodities, Aracruz adopted
measures to protect its operational efficiency and safeguard its liquidity in the hostile new
climate.
The Company’s strategic focus, over the next few years, will be an emphasis on
operational excellence, to ensure greater cash generation, as a result of cost reductions.
These measures have already begun to generate positive results for our operational
performance, in terms of a lower cash cost of production, and our efforts to administer a
higher level of indebtedness within an environment of restricted credit.
The Company’s growth plan was revised, leading to the postponement of the capacity
expansion projects and thereby reducing our forecast capital expenditures over the next
few years.
Among the important measures already adopted by Aracruz in 2008, we highlight the
reduction of operating expenses and the postponement of the expansion plans for the
Guaíba (RS) and Veracel (BA) units.