Brasília – The Brazilian Central Bank (BC) revised down the forecast of the 2016 trade surplus. According to data made public this Tuesday (20) by the bank, the trade balance should end the year with a surplus of USD 44.5 billion, below the forecast of USD 49 billion done in September. The bank has revised down the forecast due mainly to the decline in exports, which should end the year at USD 184 billion, against the previous forecast of USD 190 billion.
With this, the BC raised its forecast for a surplus of the current account in 2016 from USD 18 billion to USD 22 billion. The bank also changed its forecast for the travel-trade account, from a deficit of USD 7.5 billion to a deficit of USD 8.5 billion. The travel-trade account is the rate between what Brazilians spend abroad and what foreigners spend in Brazil.
Foreign direct investments total USD 63.657 billion in the first 11 months of the year. The Brazilian Central Bank kept its forecast for FDI for the year at USD 70 billion.
The BC also made public its forecasts for external accounts in 2017. Next year, the country will register a deficit of USD 28 billion in current transactions and a surplus of USD 44 billion in the trade balance. The travel-trade account should register a deficit of USD 10.5 billion, with foreign direct investments reaching USD 75 billion.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani