São Paulo – The Brazilian balance of trade recorded a new weekly surplus. In the second week of September, with four business days, exports exceeded imports by US$ 888 million. Foreign sales grossed US$ 3.2 billion, with imports amounting to US$ 2.3 billion. The export of an oil rig worth US$ 394 million was a factor in achieving the surplus, according to numbers released this Monday (14th) by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.
In the first week of September, exports also outpaced imports in Brazil. The resulting month-to-date surplus was US$ 1.4 billion, stemming from de US$ 6.4 billion in exports and US$ 4.9 billion in imports. Year-to-date, exports reached US$ 134.7 billion and imports reached US$ 126 billion. The ensuing surplus is US$ 8.7 billion.
Last week, exports averaged US$ 811.5 million, up 2.5% from the week before. During the week, manufactured goods sales were up 25.5% to US$ 365.8 million as a result of higher sales aircraft, flat-rolled metals, plastic polymers, cargo vehicles and fuel oils.
Conversely, semi-finished goods exports dropped 33.9% to US$ 77.9 million as a result of lower sales of raw sugar, leathers and hides, wood pulp, raw soy oil and semi-finished gold. Basic goods exports also dropped, by 4.3% to US$ 347 million, driven by soybean, iron ore, poultry, pork, coffee beans and maize.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
