São Paulo – The Brazilian trade balance closed the first week of October on a US$ 1.854 billion surplus. The surplus was the result of US$ 6 billion in exports and US$ 4.2 billion in imports, according to figures released this Monday (7th) by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.
Exports averaged at US$ 1.51 billion per day last week, as against US$ 989.2 million in October 2012. The average export figure was up 53.4%. This year, however, an oil and gas extraction rig worth US$ 1.9 billion was exported. I.e., if not for this particular sale, there would have been a trade deficit.
Year-to-date through the first week of October, exports stood at US$ 183.7 billion. The amount is down 1.2% from US$ 5.9 billion in the same period in 2012. Year-to-date through the first week of October 2012, however, there were 194 business days, as against 193 this year. However, the average per business day was also lower this year at US$ 951.9 million, as against US$ 958.5 million year-to-date through the first week of October, 2012.
Daily average exports increased due to a 119% increase in manufactured goods exports, which includes the oil rig that was sold. There was also a 24.2% increase in sales of basic goods, mostly due to exports of crude oil, soya bean, iron ore, beef and tobacco leaves. Semi-manufactured goods exports were down 7.2%.
Imports averaged at US$ 1.05 billion per day last week, as against US$ 914.2 million per day in the first week of October 2012. Year-to-date through the first week of October, imports have amounted to US$ 183.4 billion, up 8% from US$ 169.4 billion in the same period last year.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
