Brasília – Brazilian cooperatives’ exports exceeded US$ 5 billion, the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade informed this Thursday (17th). Export revenues reached US$ 5.141 billion, higher than the January-to October-2010 figure (US$ 4.417 billion), and all figures in previous years since the historical series was initiated, in 2005.
In the first ten months of 2011, exports increased by 34.6% compared with the same period of 2010, and the sector accounts for 2.4% of all Brazilian exports is 2.4%.
According to the ministry, cooperatives’ imports grew by 32.5% as against the same period of last year, and reached US$ 284 million year-to-date as of October. As a result, the trade balance for cooperatives recorded a US$ 4.857 billion surplus in the first ten months of this year, a record high for the period, exceeding the 2010 surplus (US$ 3.606 billion) by 34.7%.
The main items exported by cooperatives include refined sugar (at US$ 902.5 million, representing 17.6% of total exports by cooperatives), soybean (US$ 663.1 million, 12.9%), coffee bean (US$ 623.7 million, 12.1%) and raw sugar (US$ 596.3 million, 11.6%).
From January to October, the leading destination for products by Brazilian cooperatives was China, at US$ 661 million in sales. Next come the United Arab Emirates (US$ 497.2 million), the United States (US$ 483.5 million), Germany (US$ 384.9 million) and the Netherlands (US$ 265.1 million).
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
