In Brazil, exports surpassed imports by US$ 2.2 billion from January through June, the highest first-half surplus since 2012. Exports and imports both declined, but the latter dropped by a higher rate.

An executive from Investe SP convened with Arab Brazilian Chamber C-level executives to discuss joint actions. The goal is to attract Arabs into partnerships in São Paulo and encourage exports from the state.

In the first five months of this year, the volume of wood panels shipped abroad from Brazil also increased, but foreign sales of paper remained flat, according to the industry association.