São Paulo – Brazil registered a USD 1.23 billion trade surplus last week, the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade reported this Monday (7th). The surplus came as a result of USD 3.12 billion in exports and USD 1.8 billion in imports.
The first week of March had four business days, with exports averaging USD 780.9 million, up 1.2% from March 2015. Finished goods sales grew 15.6% and semi-finished goods sales climbed 3.6%. Basic goods exports shrank 10.3%.
Finished goods sales growth was driven by centrifuges and filtering devices, power panels, preparations for making beverages, ethanol, passenger cars, refined sugar, plastic polymers, aircraft, flexible iron and steel pipes and wire rods.
Semi-finished goods exports were driven by raw aluminum, semi-finished gold, sawed or split wood, wood chips, wood pulp and raw soya oil. Basic goods exports declined as a result of shrinking sales of crude oil, iron ore, coffee beans, soya bran and soybean.
Average daily imports plummeted 37.2% against the full-month daily average in March 2015, to USD 471.2 million. Products whose sales declined the most included iron and steel products, autos and auto parts, fuels and lubricants, electronics, organic and inorganic chemicals, and mechanical equipment.
Year-to-date through the first week of March, exports grossed USD 27.714 billion and imports reached USD 22.512 billion, adding up to a USD 5.202 billion trade surplus. In the comparable period a year ago, a USD 6.060 billion deficit was recorded.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
