São Paulo – Brazilian exports remained stagnant at US$ 23.215 billion in May, an increase of only 0.026% as against the same month of last year. Imports reached US$ 20.262 billion, up 2.93% using the same basis of comparison. The trade surplus reached US$ 2.953 billion, 16.2% lower than in May 2011. The figures were disclosed this Friday (1st) by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.
The low growth of foreign sales was sustained by sales of manufactured goods, which were up 2.7%, and of semi-manufactured goods, which were up 0.6%. Exports of basic goods dropped by 2.1% compared with May last year, according to the ministry.
The highlights in sales of industrialized goods were ethanol, orange juice, refined sugar, fuel oils, engines and electric generators, automobiles, flat-rolled steel, land levelling machinery and devices, cargo vehicles, plastic polymers, and pneumatics.
Semi-manufactured goods whose exports increased the most were raw soy oil, ferroalloys and semi-manufactured gold.
Among basic goods, exports of coffee, oil, iron ore and poultry dropped. Sales of soybean, beef, tobacco leaves, soy chaff and pork increased.
There was an increase in exports to Africa, the United States and Asia, and a decline in exports to Eastern Europe, the European Union, Mercosur, the Middle East, and Latin America and Caribbean countries. The leading targets for Brazilian products during the month were China, United States, Argentina, Netherlands and Germany.
Imports
Imports were up 11.9% for capital goods, 10.1% for consumer goods, 1.9% for fuels and lubricants, and down 3.4% for raw materials and intermediate goods.
The Middle East was the region whose sales to Brazil increased the most in May, at 82.4%, due to purchases of oil, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, organic chemicals, aircraft parts, and raw aluminium.
Imports from the Mercosur, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Union also increased. On the other hand, there was a decline in imports from Eastern Europe, Africa and United States. The leading suppliers to Brazil in May were China, United States, Germany, Argentina and Japan.
Year-to-date, Brazilian exports reached US$ 97.861 billion, up 3.43% compared with the same period of 2011. Imports reached US$ 91.59 billion, up 6.4% using the same basis of comparison. The trade surplus stood at US$ 6.271 billion, down 26.5%.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
