São Paulo – The Brazilian trade balance closed the third week of August on a surplus of US$ 684 million. Month-to-date, the balance is running a surplus of US$ 348 million. According to data referring to the week between August 11th and 17th disclosed by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MDIC), a total of US$ 5.347 billion were exported, averaging at US$ 1.069 billion per day. This result is 17.6% higher than the one posted in the first two weeks of the month.
According to the MDIC, shipments increased in the three product categories in comparison to the second week of the month. Among semi-manufactured goods, the increase of 33.7% was driven by the shipments of raw sugar, wood pulp, semi-manufactured iron, steel and gold. Sales of manufactured goods increased by 25.1%, highlighting fuel oils, automobiles, flat-rolled products, refined sugar, non-frozen orange juice and land levellers. Basic goods sales had a hike of 11.5% due to the increase in shipments of soy beans, iron ore, grain maize, coffee beans and leaf tobacco.
Imports in the period amounted to U$S 4.663 billion, averaging at US$ 932.6 million per day and down 3.4% from the first two weeks of August. Among imported goods, the most significant declines were seen in fuels and lubricants, automobiles and parts, organic and inorganic chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
Results in the month and in the year
Exports in the first three weeks of August stood at US$ 10.802 billion, averaging at US$ 982 million per day. This poses an increase of 0.8%, by the daily average, August-on-August. August-on-July, however, shipments were down 1.9%.
Imports, in turn, reached US$ 10.454 billion, averaging at US$ 950.4 million per day. This total is up 3.5% from August 2013 and 1.9% from July this year.
In the year, exports amounted to US$ 144.357 billion and imports, to US$ 144.928 billion. Up until the third week of August 2014, the Brazilian trade balance is running a US$ 571 million deficit.
*Translated by Rodrigo Mendonça
