São Paulo – Brazilian exports amounted to US$ 4.678 billion in the first week of December, at an average of US$ 935.6 million per working day, down 7% from the daily average in the same month last year, according to information released this Monday (10th) by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.
Imports reached US$ 5.141 billion, at US$ 1.028 billion per working day, up 23.5% from the average in December 2011. As a result, the balance of trade showed a US$ 463 million deficit last week, in keeping with the trend seen in November.
According to the Ministry, exports of basic goods were down 11.1%, especially soybean, iron ore, copper ore, oil, and coffee bean; manufactured goods exports were down 7.8%, especially aircraft, autos, land levelling equipment, flat rolled steel, engines and electric generators; and semi-manufactured goods exports were up 16.7%, highlighting crude aluminium, leathers and hides, raw sugar, wood pulp, gold, and cast iron.
There was an increase in imports of pharmaceuticals (80.2%), copper and copper items (73.8%), aircraft and their parts (53.2%), fertilizers (47.1%), fuels and lubricants (37.4%), optical and precision tools (32.3%) and mechanical equipment (27.8%).
Based on daily average figures, exports were down 8.6% from November this year, and imports were down 0.5%.
Year-to-date, the Brazilian trade balance is running a US$ 16.722 billion surplus, with US$ 227.51 billion in exports and US$ 210.788 billion in imports.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
