São Paulo – Brazil’s trade balance registered a surplus in April’s first week. According to the Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services (MDIC), exports totaled USD 4.688 billion in the five business days of last week, while imports totaled USD 3.092 billion, generating a surplus of USD 1.596 billion.
In the year, the country has a trade surplus of USD 16.014 billion, the result of USD 55.151 billion in exports and USD 39.137 billion in imports.
The daily average of exports in April’s first week reached USD 937.7 million, 22% above the average in April of last year. In comparison to March 2017, foreign sales increased, on average, 7.4%.
MDIC highlights that all three categories of products had an increase in sales in comparison to April 2016: semi-finished sales went up 32% due to raw sugar, semi-finished gold products, crude soy oil, ferro-alloys, hides and skins; finished products sales climbed 28.6% driven by passenger cars, cargo vehicles, hydrocarbons and halogenated derivatives of hydrocarbons, refined sugar, aluminum oxides and hydroxides; and basic goods sales increased 14.9% due to soy beans, iron ore, pork, cattle, guts and tripe and aluminum ore.
The daily average of imports also increased, going from USD 525.5 million in April of last year to USD 618.5 million in this month’s first week, an increase of 17.7%. According to the ministry, spending went up driven by lubricants, rubber and products, electronics, plastic and products and steel products.
In comparison to March, the daily average of imports climbed 9.9% due to an increase in foreign purchases of fuel and lubricants, rubber and products, plastic and products, electronics and motor vehicles and parts.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
