Brasília – The Brazilian trade balance showed a US$ 383 million surplus in the second week of December 2013. The surplus resulted from US$ 4.89 billion worth of exports and US$ 4.5 billion in imports. As a result, the year-to-date trade balance result, which had a deficit, shifted into a US$ 15 million surplus. The information was released this Monday (16th) by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.
Month-to-date, there is a US$ 108 million surplus, as against a US$ 275 million deficit in the first week.
Exports averaged at US$ 979.2 million per day, up 16.9% from the first week. Manufactured and basic goods exports accounted for the increase. Semi-manufactured goods exports were the only category to see a decline.
Manufactured goods exports were up 21.5%, particularly aircraft, passenger cars, auto parts, tractors and land levellers. Basic goods, exports were up 20.2% due to iron ore, crude oil, soy bran, poultry, and coffee. Semi-manufactured goods sales were down 9.8%, mostly driven by wood pulp, raw sugar, semi-manufactured steel and iron products, leathers and hides, and raw aluminium.
Imports averaged at US$ 902.6 million per day, up 1.1% from the first week of December. The result was influenced by fuels and lubricants, mechanical equipment, plastics, and optical and precision instruments.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum with information from the ANBA Newsroom
