São Paulo – Brazil had a USD 1.685 billion trade surplus last week, the result of USD 4.504 billion in exports and USD 2.819 billion in imports, the Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services reported this Monday (15). The preceding week had seen a USD 637 million surplus.
Average daily exports widened by 31% in the second week of August from the first one. Basic goods exports were up 83%, driven by crude oil, soy, iron ore, soy bran, poultry, maize, and coffee. Finished goods exports were up 2.9%, especially automobiles, aircraft, refined sugar, flat-rolled iron and steel, auto parts, earthworks machinery, motors and electric generators
Semi-finished goods exports dropped by 9.4%, with slower sales of wood pulp, leather, semi-finished iron and steel, semi-finished gold, and copper cathodes.
Average daily imports were up 0.8%, driven by mechanical equipment, chemicals, autos and auto parts, plastics and pharmaceuticals.
Month-to-date through the second week of August, exports reached USD 7.939 billion and imports stood at USD 5.617 billion, leading to a USD 2.321 billion. Average daily exports were up 7.7% from the comparable year-ago period, with imports dropping by 7.8%.
Year-to-date through the second week of August, exports from Brazil fetched USD 114.524 billion, with imports at USD 83.973 billion, and a resulting surplus of USD 30.551 billion.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
