São Paulo – Brazilian exports amounted to nearly US$ 4.44 billion last week, at US$ 1.11 billion on average per working day, up 3.6% from the first week of October according to figures released this Monday (15th) by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade. Last Friday (12th) was a national holiday, therefore the period comprised only four working days.
According to the ministry, there was an increase in exports of manufactured goods (17.8%), mostly refined sugar, automobiles, auto parts, frozen orange juice, cargo vehicles, and tractors. There was also an increase in foreign sales of basic items (3.2%) such as iron ore, soya bran, soya bean, tobacco leaves and coffee bean.
On the other hand, exports of semi-manufactured goods were down 21.1% last week from the preceding week. Items whose sales dropped the most were raw sugar, semi-manufactured gold, ferroalloys, hides and skins, semi-manufactured iron and steel products, and crude soy oil.
In turn, Brazilian imports amounted to US$ 3.52 billion, i.e. US$ 880 million per working day, down 3.2% from the first week of October. There was a decline in imports of fuels and lubricants, mechanical equipment, and optics and precision equipment.
The trade balance showed a surplus of nearly US$ 920 million, and bilateral trade, i.e. the sum of exports and imports stood at roughly US$ 8 billion.
Month-to-date
Month-to-date, exports have reached US$ 9.8 billion, averaging at US$ 1.088 billion per day, down 1.7% from the same period in October last year, but up 3.4% from September 2012.
Imports stood at US$ 8.064 billion, or US$ 896 million on average per working day, down 9.4% from October 2011 and down 2.4% from September this year. The trade surplus stands at US$ 1.731 billion month-to-date.
Year-to-date, Brazilian exports have reached US$ 190.4 billion, down 4.7% from the same period in 2011 based on daily average figures. Imports reached US$ 173 billion, down 1.7% using the same basis of comparison. The Brazilian trade surplus stands at US$ 17.455 billion year-to-date in 2012, down 27.1% from the same period last year based on daily average figures.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
