Brasília – The foreign direct investment (FDI) in Brazil in January totalled US$ 1.93 billion. Brazilian Central Bank estimates are for the total invested in the country this year to reach US$ 30 billion. FDI is the result of investor long-term interest in the country’s economy.
In the same month in 2008, FDI inflow into Brazil had totalled US$ 4.826 billion and ended the year at a record US$ 45.06 billion.
The Central Bank figures, disclosed last week, also show that the country’s total foreign debt reached US$ 199.6 billion, US$ 615 million less than in December 2008.
Current account deficit
The current account balance (all operations between Brazil and the world), an index used to measure the foreign vulnerability of the country, resulted in a deficit of US$ 2.753 billion in January, according to the Central Bank. In the same period last year, the deficit had been US$ 4.028 billion.
In January, the trade balance of Brazil (exports minus imports) contributed to the result by generating a deficit of US$ 524 million. Exports totalled US$ 9.782 billion and imports US$ 10.306 billion.
The service and income account (interest, profit and dividends as well as international travels) also resulted in a deficit, US$ 2.424 billion, whereas unilateral transfers generated a positive result of US$ 312 million.
*Translated by Mark Ament
