São Paulo – Brazilian exports amounted to nearly US$ 4.4 billion last week. Average daily exports were down 19% from the first two weeks of October, according to figures from weeks of October, according to figures released this Monday (22nd) by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade. Average daily imports, in turn, were up 7.4%. Total imports stood at US$ 4.8 billion. The resulting deficit was US$ 422 million.
There was a decline in exports of semi-manufactured goods (28%), especially raw sugar, wood pulp, semi-manufactured iron and steel, hides and skins, and semi-manufactured gold; basic goods (23.5%), especially oil, iron ore, beef and poultry, soya bran, coffee bean, soya bean and tobacco leaves; and manufactured goods, such as aircraft, refined sugar, auto parts, automobiles, fuel oils, and automobile engine parts.
On the other hand, there was an increase in imports of fuels and lubricants, appliances, vehicles and their parts, chemicals, and fertilizers.
Month-to-date as of late last week, exports reached US$ 14.2 billion, down 8.5% from October 2011 and 3.7% from September 2012 based on daily average figures. Imports reached nearly US$ 12.9 billion, down 7% from October last year and up only 0.16% from September 2012. The trade surplus stands at US$ 1.3 billion month-to-date.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
