From the Newsroom*
São Paulo – The Brazilian trade balance is already showing the effect of recent tours taken by president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Export to the Middle East, a region visited by president Lula last year, for example, had trade increases of 50.3% in May this year in comparison to the same period in 2003, a value above the average foreign trade growth, around 24%.
"During his visits, the president opens doors or routs, avenues that are used by Brazilian businessmen, generating results, economic growth, and jobs," stated Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade minister Luiz Fernando Furlan, on commenting Brazilian export performance.
Sales to the Arab countries reached US$ 1.136 billion from January to April, a 60.37% increase with regard to the same period last year. In the evaluation of Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (CCAB) president Paulo Sérgio Atallah, export to the region should reach US$ 310 million in the month of May, practically double that registered in the same month in 2003.
In the Arab world, president Lula visited Lebanon, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Libya.
The minister also mentioned other countries, such as South Africa, Namibia, Spain, and Portugal, where export also had a significant performance after the visits taken by president Lula. But he placed special emphasis on the Arab countries.
"In the case of Syria, our export has been multiplied by eight, and we grew from US$ 8 million to approximately US$ 70 million (from January to May)," recalled Furlan.
Historic surplus for the period
The Brazilian trade balance reached a historic surplus this year. The total was US$ 11.2 billion, with export of US$ 33.9 billion, and import of US$ 22.7 billion. Growth of Brazilian sales in the period was 24%.
Minister Furlan stated that the figures go to show Brazilian growth. In fact, the export sector is among those showing greatest growth in the country. In the last twelve months, the trade surplus reached US$ 28 billion, with export of US$ 79.9 billion and import of US$ 51.9 billion. Export revenue in May totalled US$ 7.9 billion, and the positive balance was US$ 3.1 billion.
Aircraft sales almost double
The products most exported in May were manufactured products, such as trucks, aircraft, and cars. Aircraft sales, for example, rose 96.3%. These items answer to US$ 4.2 billion in revenues, followed by basic products, such as soy in grain, ground soy, and iron ore, with sales of US$ 2.5 billion.
The main export destination in May was the United States, where purchases totalled US$ 1.6 billion. But the increase in sales to the country, 13.8%, was below the general export growth in the region.
The second country that most bought from Brazil was Argentina, with US$ 616 million, and growth of 69%, and the third was China. Export to the Chinese totalled US$ 550 million.
When considering economic regions, the Middle East was the third largest destination, for Brazilian export in May. Brazil exported US$ 299 million to the region, US$ 100 million above that in the same month in 2003. Africa was the fourth bloc in terms of purchases of Brazilian products, buying US$ 294 million, a US$ 65 million growth.
*With information from Agência Brasil
