São Paulo – Brazilian foreign sales reached US$ 3.929 billion last week, at a daily average of US$ 785.8 million, down 26.7% from the first week of July, according to figures issued this Monday (16th) by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.
According to the ministry, there was a decline in exports of basic goods (-34.9%), specially raw sugar, pulp, ferroalloys, leathers, gold, and molten iron; basic goods (-34%), specially soybean, crude oil, iron ore, soya bran, and meats; and manufactured goods (-14.6%), specially auto parts, autos, ethanol, engines and generators, cargo vehicles, vehicle engine parts, and refined sugar.
On the other hand, imports reached US$ 3.84 billion, at a daily average of US$ 768 million, down 18.9% from the preceding week. According to the ministry, there was a decline in purchases of fuels and lubricants, mechanical equipment, consumer electronics, autos and their parts, and chemicals.
As a result, the country posted a US$ 89 million trade surplus in the second week of July, at a daily average of US$ 17.8 million.
Month-to-date, exports stood at US$ 9.289 billion, down 12.3% from the daily average for July 2011, and down 4% from June this year. Imports reached US$ 8.577 billion, down 5.8% from July of last year, based on daily average figures, and down 7.5% from June 2012.
So far in July, the trade surplus stands at US$ 712 million, down 52.4% from July 2011 based on daily average figures, but up 76.7% from June this year, also based on daily average figures.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
