São Paulo – Brazilian exports generated US$ 4.998 billion in February up to the 10th, with a daily average of US$ 833 million, a reduction of 12.2% over February last year, according to figures disclosed on Wednesday (13) by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade. Imports, in turn, totalled US$ 5.739 billion, with US$ 956.5 million in the daily average, growth of 11.3% in the same comparison.
With this, Brazil accumulates a trade deficit of US$ 741 million in the month, after having registered a negative balance also in January.
According to the Ministry, there was 15.2% reduction in shipments of manufactured products, like fuel oil, aircraft, frozen orange juice, land-levelling machinery, engines and generators and passenger vehicles; 7.2% in basic products, especially crude oil, soy in grain, tobacco leaves, coffee in grain and iron ore, and 12.5% in partly manufactured products, mainly wrought iron, aluminium in bulk, iron alloys, partly manufactured products and steel, gold in partly manufactured form and bulk soy oil.
In case of imports, on the other hand, there was growth in purchases of fuels and lubricants (65.2%), grain and grinding products (60.1%), fertilizers (54.5%), aircraft and parts (24.3%), organic and inorganic chemicals (20.4%) and inputs for precision optics (10.2%).
In the accumulated result for the year, Brazil’s foreign sales generated US$ 20.966 billion, imports, US$ 25.742 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of US$ 4.776 billion.
*Translated by Mark Ament
