São Paulo – Brazilian exports reached little over US$ 5.098 billion last week and imports reached US$ 4.337 billion, resulting in a US$ 761 million surplus. The figures were announced this Monday (21st) by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.
Both the rate of exports and imports dropped compared with the first two weeks of May, based on the average per working day. There was a decline in sales of basic items such as soy, iron ore and oil; manufactured goods sales also dropped, especially those of automobiles, auto parts, refine sugar, cargo vehicles, flat-rolled steel, and plastic polymers.
There was an increase in semi-manufactured goods exports, on the other hand, including raw sugar, pulp, ferroalloys, crude soy oil, and raw aluminium.
Regarding imports, there was a decline in purchases of mechanic equipment, consumer electronics, automobiles, auto parts, pharmaceuticals, and optical and precision instruments.
Month-to-date as of last week, exports stood at US$ 14.823 billion, up 8.1% from May 2011 based on daily average figures. There was also an increase in sales of basic goods, semi-manufactured and manufactured goods. Exports grew by 16.6% over April 2012, also based on daily average figures.
On the other hand, imports stood at US$ 11.871 billion, up 2.1% from the daily average in May last year, and down 2.3% as against last April. The monthly surplus stands at US$ 2.952 billion.
Year-to-date as of last week, Brazilian exports reached US$ 89.469 billion, up 2.1% from the same period of 2011, based on daily averages; imports reached US$ 83.199 billion, up 4.1% using the same basis of comparison; and the trade surplus stands at US$ 6.27 billion. The surplus is 19.1% lower than in the same period of last year.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
