São Paulo – The Brazilian trade balance was back on a deficit in April, after having posted a surplus in March. According to information released this Thursday (2nd) by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, the trade balance posted a US$ 994 million deficit, as against a US$ 161 million surplus in the preceding month. March was the only month with a surplus this year.
Exports stood at US$ 20.632 billion, up 5.4% from April 2012. The amount was an all-time high for April, but down 4.1% from April 2012 based on the average per business day. This was so because April 2013 had two business days more than April 2012, hence the higher total and lower daily average.
Based on daily averages, exports of semi-manufactured goods were up 1.5%, while manufactured and basic goods exports were respectively down 3.9% and 5.5%.
Regarding export targets, shipments have increased to Mercosur countries (12.5%), Asia (6.6%), Africa (3.6%) and the Middle East (1.6%). Shipments to other regions saw a decline.
On the other hand, import revenues amounted to US$ 21.626 billion, up 15.7% from April 2012. The daily average increase was 5.2%.
According to the Ministry, based on average-per-business-day figures, imports of all product categories have increased, such as consumer goods (9.1%), raw and intermediate goods (7.2%), capital goods (3.2%), and fuels and lubricants (0.1%).
Imports from the following regions have increased: Eastern Europe (16.8%), Asia (15.2%), Mercosur (10.8%), Latin America and the Caribbean, except the Mercosur (7.9%) and European Union (5.2%). Imports from other regions have declined.
Increased deficit
Year-to-date through April, exports stood at US$ 71.468 billion, down 4.2% from the same period in 2012, and down 3.1% based on average-per–day figures.
Imports, in turn, have amounted to a combined US$ 77.618 billion, up 8.8% from the first four months of 2012, and up 10.1% based on daily average figures. The Brazilian trade balance is running a US$ 6.15 billion deficit, up 86.4% from the first four months of 2012.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
