The main purpose of this paper was evaluate the degree of concentration and the degree of inequality of Brazilian's Papers Industries. The Brazilian's paper industries was divided in five sector: Writing papers, package papers, sanitary papers, printing papers, and paperboard paper. The data used was of the years: 1984, 1988, and 1992. The Brazilian's market was defined like the apparent consume.
In order to analyze the industrial concentration it was calculated the concentration degree of the biggest four firms of each sector (CD4) and the concentration degree of the biggest eight firms of each sector (CD8). Both BAIN criteria and CAVES criteria was utilized to defined the degree of concentration, as well as the Hirschmann-Herfindahl's Indexes (HHI) was utilized too, this last indexes is characterized to be influenced by participation of the biggest firms. The Gini's Indexes (GI) was utilized to analyze the inequality of each sector, and was utilized the classification that divided it in five classes: null to weak inequality; weak to medium inequality; medium to strong inequality; strong to very strong inequality; very strong to absolute inequality.
The Brazilian's papers industries was characterized by BAIN criteria like a oligopoly type IV (e.g. small-moderation concentration) and by CAVES criteria like a oligopoly type (e.g. the 8 biggest firms produce more than 33% and the 20 biggest a minimum of 75%), the GI was 0.714 (e.g. strong to very strong inequality). Printing sector showed the higher DC4, 59.25%, while paperboard sector was that showed the higher DC8, 76.63%, and the higher GI (0.7563). Now, the writing sector showed the lowest all indexes (CD4 - 41.20, CD8 - 56.65%; GI - 0.4071), from the BAIN criteria this sector is defined as weak-average inequality.
Usually there were a reduction in the sectors concentration when analyzed from 1984 to 1992, but not necessary the participation of the minors firms (e.g. from the ninth firm) gain this participation, in some sector the growing up of the importation was significant.
Key words: paper industry, Gini's Index, Hirschmann-Herfindal's Index, industrial concentration, market structure.