São Paulo – Brazilian trade balance posted a USD 608 million surplus in the third week of February, according to information published this Monday (18) in the Ministry of Economy website. Exports reached USD 3.9 billion, and imports USD 3.3 billion.
In February as a whole, foreign sales stood at USD 8.7 billion and international purchases at USD 7.1 billion, a positive balance of USD 1.6 billion. Over the year, exports reached USD 27.3 billion, and imports USD 23.5 billion, with a USD 3.8 billion surplus.
Last week, Brazil exported an average of USD 789.6 million in products, 1.3% less than what had been registered up to the second week. This was driven by semi-finished goods, which dropped 8.7%, and finished goods, which declined 7.7%.
The semi-finished goods that posted the largest decline were semi-finished gold, raw sugar, iron alloys, raw soy oil, and raw zinc. Finished goods were earthmoving machines and equipment, cast iron pipes, passenger cars, orthopedic protheses articles and equipment, and automobile vehicles motors and its parts.
Basic good exports, however, grew in the period by 6.3%, driven mainly by raw oil, soybean meal, iron ores, copper ores, and live bovine animals.
Brazilian imports climbed 5.6% in the third week of February, if considered the daily average compared to the average of the second week of the month. International purchases reached USD 667.9 million. The growth was driven by imports of fuels and lubricants, fertilizers, optical and precision instruments, beverages and alcohol, copper and its works.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
