São Paulo – Exports from Brazil stood at US$ 242.58 billion in 2012, down 5.3% from 2011, according to figures released this Wednesday (2nd) by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade. Imports reached US$ 223.142 billion, down 1.4%.
As a result, Brazil posted a US$ 19.438 billion trade surplus, down 34.8% from 2011. Bilateral trade, i.e. the sum of exports and imports, stood at US$ 465.722 billion, down 3.4% from 2011.
The ministry reported a decline in exports of all three product categories: semi-manufactured goods (8.3%), basic goods (7.4%) and manufactured goods (1.7%).
Regarding semi-manufactured goods, the sharpest declines were seen in exports of iron and steel products, cast iron, raw sugar, wood pulp, and raw soya oil. Basic goods whose exports dropped the most were coffee bean, iron ore, crude oil and poultry. Manufactured goods whose foreign sales saw the sharpest decline were flat-rolled steel, refined sugar, autos, aluminium oxides and hydroxides, orange juice, engines, plastic polymers, tyres, auto parts, cargo vehicles, and land levelling machines and devices.
There was, however, an increase in exports of ethanol, fuel oils, aircraft, electrical engines and generators, pumps and compressors, ferroalloys, semi-manufactured gold, hides, maize, cotton, soya bran, tobacco, beef, and soya bean.
Exports declined to all regions, except the United States, according to the ministry. The main target countries for Brazilian products were China, United States, Argentina, Netherlands and Japan.
On the other hand, there was a decline in imports of fuels and lubricants (2.4%) and of raw materials and intermediate goods (2.2%), and an increase in capital goods imports (1.5%). There was an increase in Brazilian imports from the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean (not including the Mercosur) and the European Union.
The main suppliers to Brazil were China, United States, Argentina, Germany and South Korea.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
