Agência Brasil*
Santiago – Chile, to where Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will travel tomorrow (25), ranks among the ten major trade partners of Brazil. It is the seventh largest destination for Brazilian exports, and the eight largest imports source. From 2002 to 2006, the trade flow between the two countries more than tripled, rising from US$ 2.1 billion to US$ 6.8 billion – always with a positive trade balance in favour of Brazil.
During the same period, Brazilian exports went up from US$ 1.46 billion to US$ 3.89 billion, a 266% increase. Imports saw an even greater increase: from US$ 648 million to US$ 2.9 billion (447%).
Industrialized, manufactured and semi-manufactured goods answer to 70% of the Brazilian export basket to Chile. In 2006, the main items exported were raw petroleum (29.35%) and cellular telephones (4.45%). Automobile bodies, automobiles, chassis and tractors also accounted for a significant share – together, they answered to 14.8% of exports.
The most imported commodities by Brazil were products derived from copper, the main export item of Chile: 68.94%. The country also imports salmon (2.02%), wine (1.26%) and newsprint paper (0.76%).
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
