São Paulo – Exports from Brazil to the Arab countries generated almost US$ 1.53 billion in October, growth of 13% over the same month last year. This was the first growth after almost four months dropping, according to figures disclosed by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade and compiled by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. In the same comparison, total Brazilian foreign sales dropped 1.7%.
“Part of the growth is due to the replenishment of food stocks. Another reason is economic growth, mainly in countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar,” said the CEO Arab Brazilian Chamber, Michel Alaby.
Shipments of sugar, chicken, beef, heavy machinery for works, calcinated alumina, standing cattle, wheat, tractors, industrialized beef and soy chaff, among others, rose.
Exports to Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Qatar, the Comoros, Djibouti, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Somalia and Tunisia grew above average. The main Arab markets for Brazilian products last month were Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Oman.
“Product shipments are anticipated due to the winter in the Northern Hemisphere,” added Alaby. Over September this year, Brazilian shipments to the Middle East and North Africa rose almost 12%.
On the other lane, Brazilian imports of Arab products totalled slightly over US$ 836 million, a drop of almost 37% over October 2011. As against September this year, however, the drop was lower, little under 4%.
Thus, Brazil had a trade surplus of almost US$ 693 million with the Arab nations last month, significantly higher than that recorded in October 2011 (US$ 28 million) and also higher than in September this year (US$ 496 million).
Year
The growth in exports last month, however, was not enough to invert the lower revenues with shipments in the accumulated result this year. From January to October, shipments generated US$ 12.2 billion, 1.64% less than in the same period last year.
Imports, in turn, totalled US$ 9.4 billion, growth of 8.7% in the same comparison. The balance accumulated in 2012 is US$ 2.8 billion positive, 25.5% less than from January to October 2011.
*Translated by Mark Ament
