São Paulo – Brazil posted a USD 5.9 billion trade surplus in May, the Brazilian Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services reported this Friday (1). The surplus came as a result of USD 19.2 billion in exports and USD 13.2 billion in imports.
Average daily exports from Brazil were up 1.9% year-on-year in May, and down 2.5% in May from April. Average daily imports climbed 14.5% year-on-year and dropped 3.8% in May from April.
Basic goods exports were up 18.4% year-on-year in May to USD 10.8 billion. Finished goods exports slid by 17.3% to USD 5.4 billion, with semi-finished exports dropping 9.5% to USD 2.4 billion.
Foreign sales of basic goods were driven by livestock, up 253%, as well as crude oil, soya bran, soybeans, copper ore and beef. Foreign sales dropped for sugar, pneumatics, aircraft, leather and hides, etc.
Year-to-date through May, exports reached USD 93.6 billion, while imports came out to USD 67.4 billion, yielding a USD 26.1 billion surplus. In the 12 months through May, exports fetched USD 223.4 billion and imports amounted to USD 159.3 billion, with the ensuing surplus reaching USD 64.1 billion.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
