São Paulo – Exports from Brazil were down 20.4% year-on-year in October to USD 18.23 billion, and down 11.2% in October from September in daily average numbers.
Imports climbed 1.1% year-on-year to USD 17.025 billion and slid 5.8% over September. The month saw a USD 1.206 billion trade surplus, down 80.1% from the October 2018 result.
Year-to-date through October, exports hit USD 185.44 billion, down 7.7% year-on-year. Imports came out to USD 150.61 billion, down 15% from a year ago. At USD 34.82 billion, the trade surplus was down 27.4% year-on-year.
Exports
October exports amounted to USD 10.024 billion in basic goods, USD 5.828 billion in finished goods, and USD 2.379 billion in semi-finished goods. Year-over-year, exports were down 26.5% for finished goods, 20.6% for semi-finished goods, and 15.3% for basic goods.
Region-wise, exports slid 35% to Central America and the Caribbean, 35.2% to the European Union, 32.7% to the Mercosur, 25.5% to the United States, 20.8% to Oceania, 10.3% to Asia and 7.6% to Africa.
Exports to Middle East countries were down 12.9% with weaker sales of raw sugar, poultry, maize, beef, soya bran, coffee beans, refined sugar, wood, petcoke and bitumen, and tractors.
Brazil’s top five importing countries in October were China, Hong Kong and Macau (USD 5.415 bn), United States (USD 2.420 bn), Argentina (USD 688 mn), the Netherlands (USD 637 mn) and Japan (USD 542 mn).
Year-to-date through October, sales to the Middle East were up 13.6%, driven by iron ore, semi-finished gold products, poultry, maize, livestock, copper bars, profiles, wiring, aviation engine and turbine parts, cast iron pipes, frozen beef, and soya bran.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
