From the Newsroom
São Paulo – Brazilian exports totalled the equivalent to US$ 3.577 billion up to the second week of January. Exports, in turn, reached US$ 2.661 billion, which resulted in a trade balance surplus of US$ 916 million, according to figures supplied yesterday (17) by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.
According to the ministry, there has been a 29.5% increase in the daily export average in comparison to January last year. In the case of foreign purchases, the growth was even greater, 32.6%, when compared to January 2004.
In the first two weeks of the year, there has been an increase in all product categories (basic, semi-manufactured and manufactured), in comparison to the daily average for the same period last year.
Sales of semi-finished products were those that grew most, 49.7%, pushed by semi-manufactured products in iron and steel, aluminium in bulk and iron alloys. Exports of finished products grew 39.9%, pushed by sales of aluminium oxides and hydroxides, flat iron laminates and steel, aeroplanes, refined sugar and engines for vehicles.
The shipping of basic products, in turn, were the ones that grew less, only 2.4%, pushed, mainly, by the export of chicken, coffee in grain, cattle beef and tobacco.
In the case of imports, the largest increases were registered in the purchase of pharmaceutical products, fuels and lubricants, ironworks products, plastics, optic and precision instruments, electric and electronic equipment, mechanic equipment, chemicals and cars.
In the second week of the year, Brazilian exports generated US$ 1.779 billion and imports US$ 1.239 billion, which resulted in a surplus of US$ 540 million. In the first week, the balance had been US$ 376 million.
