Brasília – In January 2010, Brazilian exports grew 21.3% compared with the same period of 2009, totalling US$ 11.305 billion, which results in a daily average of US$ 565.3 million. In January 2009, the daily average was US$ 465.8 million.
Imports grew 16.8% in comparison with January 2009. According to the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, imports totalled US$ 11.471 billion, or a daily average of US$ 573.6 million, as against US$ 491 million in January last year.
As a result, the trade balance, which is the difference between exports and imports, recorded a deficit of US$ 166 million (daily average of US$ 8.3 million). In January 2009, the deficit was US$ 529 million. Despite the trade deficit, the result was 67.1% better than in the same month of last year, when the average daily deficit was US$ 25.2 million.
Total trade – i.e. the sum of imports and exports – reached US$ 22.776 billion, resulting in a daily average of US$ 1.138 billion. The figure is 19% greater than recorded in January of last year (US$ 956.8 million).
Taking into consideration the fifth week of January alone (from the 25th to the 31st), the balance of trade showed a US$ 730 million surplus, at a daily average of US$ 146 million – US$ 3.254 billion in exports, at a daily average of US$ 650.8 million; and US$ 2.524 billion in imports, at a daily average of US$ 504.8 million.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
