São Paulo – Brazilian exports of capital goods to Arab countries amounted to nearly US$ 160 million from January to April, an increase of 92% over the same period last year, according to data released this Wednesday (28th) by the Brazilian Machinery Manufacturers Association (Abimaq).
The main market in the region is the United Arab Emirates, which imported the equivalent to US$ 70 million, a growth of 204% in relation to the first four months in 2013.
Second in the list is Iraq, with imports of US$ 34 million, a growth of 106% in the same comparison; Saudi Arabia, stood at US$ 18.8 million, down 3.8%; Egypt, at US$ 17 million, up 219%; Morocco, at US$ 3.2 million, up 111%; and Sudan, at US$ 2.35 million, up 141%.
Brazil has exported machines and equipment to 17 out of the 22 Arab countries from January to April.
Overall, foreign sales of the sector amounted to US$ 4.315 billion in the four-month period, up26.7% over the first four months last year. According to the Abimaq, it is the best result at the historical series for the period.
The organization has also said that shipments accounted for 45% of the sector’s revenue of the first four-month period, over the historical average of 32%. Main destinations of Brazilian shipments were countries in Latin America, the US and Europe.
Latin-American countries’ shipments had a decline of 7%, however, business with North-American and European increased 76% and 36.7%, respectively.
According to the Abimaq, nearly all segments in this industry boosted foreign sales, in special infrastructure and basic industry areas and oil and renewable energy machines, which had a growth in shipments of 94% and 193.3%, respectively.
In April alone, the sector exported the equivalent to US$ 1,123 billion, up 10.9% in relation to March 2014 and 23.5% when compared to April last year.
Imports
On the other hand, machine and equipment imports amounted to a little more than US$ 10 billion in the first four months of the year, a decrease of almost 5.3% over the same period in 2013. Most segments showed a decline in foreign purchases from January to April, according to the Abimaq, except for oil and renewable energy machines, which increased by 123.4%.
In April alone, the imports stood at US$ 2.47 billion, an increase of 5.6% in relation to March, but a decline of 10.8% when compared to April 2013.
Last month, the United States became once again the main suppliers of Brazil; after leading for two months, China resumed second position, followed by Germany and Italy.
*Translated by Rodrigo Mendonça
