From the Newsroom
São Paulo – Brazilian export to the Middle East totalled US$ 306 million in July, against US$ 216 million in the same period last year, a 41.6% increase. The value, however, is lower than that registered in the month of June (US$ 527 million). To Africa, shipping generated US$ 411 million, as against US$ 285 million in July 2003, a 44.2% growth. The level was little below that of June, when shipping revenues to the African continent totalled US$ 412 million. These figures were announced yesterday (02) by the ministry of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade.
In its statistics, the Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex), connected to the ministry, considers the following countries the Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Bahrein, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, and Syria, as well as Israel and Iran.
"Sales to the Middle East rose to most countries in the region, but mostly to Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Syria, to where the products most exported were meats, soy oil, sugar, maize, ground soy, auto parts, highway tractors, land levelling machinery, milk, and dairy products," informed the Secex report.
"With regard to Africa, sales evolved to most counties, with special attention to South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria, Angola, and Morocco, which purchased sugar, vehicles, meats, machinery and equipment, ironworks products, ores, products in iron and steel, tobacco, and soy in grain," added the document.
Secex technicians also pointed out growth in sales to non-traditional markets, or to those with low participation in Brazilian foreign trade, "this shows a diversification in the countries that receive Brazilian export." Among these markets are Libya, where shipping generated US$ 13.5 million in July, or 528.2% more than in the same period in 2003, Sudan (US$ 11.5 million, 402.7% growth), Jordan (US$ 7.3 million, 74.6% increase), Lebanon (US$ 8.4 million, or a 64.6% rise), Oman (US$ 5.2 million, up 59.3%), and Mauritania (US$ 3.1 million, 52.2% expansion).
Import
On the other side, import from the Middle East has also increased, totalling US$ 140 million in June, against US$ 115 million in the same period last year. Purchases by African countries totalled US$ 640 million, as against US$ 282 million in June 2003, an increase of almost 127%.
General Brazilian import in the month totalled over US$ 5.5 billion, the second largest value this year, and also the second largest result in history for the month of July. Fuel and lubricant purchases rose 121.5% in the period "due to greater volumes shipped and to higher (oil) prices on the foreign market." Brazil is a large oil importer from African countries like Nigeria and Algeria, and from the Middle East.
The accumulated result for January to July shows that export to the Middle East has totalled US$ 2.036 billion, against US$ 1.353 billion in the same period last year, an increase of almost 50.5%. To Africa, shipping generated US$ 2.257 billion, against US$ 1.417 billion in the first seven months of 2003, a growth of almost 59.3%.
Brazilian import form the Middle East, in turn, totalled US$ 1.082 billion in the period, against US$ 855 million between January and July last year. From Africa, Brazil imported the equivalent to US$ 3.379 billion, against US$ 1.802 billion in the first seven months of 2003, an increase of over 87.5%.
Total
In total, Brazilian export generated US$ 8.992 billion in July, against US$ 6.105 billion in the same month last year, a growth of almost 47.3%. This was a historic record for months of July, and the second greatest monthly total in all times, only lower than the value for the month of June 2004 (US$ 9.327 billion).
Import, in turn, totalled US$ 5.512 billion in the month, against US$ 4.049 billion in July 2003, a 36.13% increase. The favourable surplus for Brazil was US$ 3.48 billion, a historic record for months of July and the second largest value in history, only smaller than that reached in June 2004 (US$ 3.81 billion).
In the period from January to July, Brazilian export has already totalled US$ 52.298 billion, import US$ 33.769 billion, and the surplus for Brazil is at US$ 18.529 billion. The accumulated result for the last 12 months generated US$ 86.275 billion, purchases US$ 55.402 billion, and the surplus reached US$ 30.873 billion. According to the Secex, the value of export and the balance reached are historic records for 12-month periods.
