São Paulo – Brazil’s balance of trade went back to a surplus last week, following a deficit in the prior week. According to information released this Monday (26th) by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, the surplus stood at US$ 880 million in the fourth week of August, as a result of US$ 5.172 billion in exports and US$ 4.292 billion in imports. In the preceding week, a US$ 334 million deficit was recorded.
Foreign sales averaged at US$ 1.034 billion per working day last week, up 8.2% from the average in the other weeks of August. Semi-manufactured goods exports were up 11.5%, especially wood pulp, gold, semi-manufactured iron and steel products, leathers and crude aluminium; basic goods exports were up 10.6%, highlighting iron ore, oil, maize, soya bran and coffee; and manufactured goods exports were up 5.6%, including aircraft, refined sugar, engines and generators, fuel oils, and aluminium oxides and hydroxides.
On the other hand, imports averaged at US$ 858.4 million per working day in the fourth week of August, down 8.1% from the average for the rest of the month. Imports declined for fuels and lubricants, mechanical equipment, customer electronics, vehicles and their parts, chemical and inorganic chemicals, and fertilizers.
To date in August, exports stood at US$ 16.635 billion, up 0.6% from August 2012, based on daily average figures. Compared with the average in July 2013, exports were up 8.2%. Month-to-date, imports stood at US$ 15.496 billion, up 9.4% from August 2012, also based on daily averages. Exports were down 7.7% from June this year. The trade surplus stands at US$ 1.139 billion in August to date. Year-to-date, however, the trade balance is running a US$ 3.851 billion deficit.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
