Agência Brasil*
Brasília – The Brazilian trade balance surplus (exports minus imports) has reached US$ 2.001 billion, with exports of US$ 19.430 billion and imports of US$ 17.429 billion this year, in 31 working days.
The trade balance surplus accumulated in the period is 53.1% smaller than that registered up to the third week of February 2007 (US$ 4.269 billion, in 34 working days). The figures were disclosed today (18) by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.
In February, Brazilian exports totalled US$ 6.153 billion in the nine working days of the month, a daily average of US$ 683.7 million. Imports totalled US$ 5.096 billion, a daily average of US$ 566.2 million.
With this performance, the trade balance surplus reached US$ 1.057 billion in February. In the third week of the month, with five working days, the trade balance surplus was US$ 321 million, with exports of US$ 3.369 billion and imports of US$ 3.048 billion.
According to the Focus Bulletin, disclosed by the Central Bank of Brazil today, the financial market expectations are for the trade balance to end the year at US$ 30 billion. Last year the trade surplus was US$ 40 billion, with exports of US$ 160.6 billion and imports of US$ 120.6 billion.
*Translated by Mark Ament
