São Paulo – The first two weeks of February, with six working days, presented a USD 1.069 billion in Brazilian trade balance, with USD 4.865 billion shipped and USD 3.795 billion in imports, according to the report released by Brazilian ministry of economy this Monday (11). In the accumulated of the year, exports reached USD 23.444 billion, and imports USD 20.182 billion, a positive result of USD 3.262 billion.
Comparing the average until the second week of February this year, USD 810.8 million, with the one in 2018, there was a 14.2% drop due to a reduction in sales in manufactured and semi manufactured products. The sales in the first category dropped by 27.5%, reaching USD 319 million per day due mainly to the oil extraction platforms, passenger cars, fuel oils, tractors, and cargo vehicles. The decrease in semi manufactured exports was of 12.1%, reaching USD 110.1 million, because of celluloses, raw cast iron and Spiegel iron, raw soy oil, raw cane sugar, and iron/steel semi manufactured.
On the other hand, the sales of basic products grew by 0.6%, with a daily average of USD 381.7 million, due to soy in grains, corn in grains, raw cotton, beef and poultry, and leaf tobacco.
In the comparison with January 2019, there was a 4% drop. Sales of semi manufactured products dropped by 17.1% to USD 110.1 million; and 4.4% the exports of manufactured products, to USD 319 million. The sales of basic products grew by 1%, to USD 3181.7 million.
The daily average of imports until the second week of February was USD 632.6 million, a value 21% smaller than the average of February 2018. Expenses with fuels and lubricants, automobile vehicles and pieces, optical and precision medical instruments, mechanical equipment, and electronic equipment have also dropped.
Over January this year, a 15.1% drop was posted in imports due to the decrease in purchases of beverages and alcohol, fuels and lubricants, optical and precision medical instruments, automobile vehicles and pieces, and electronic equipment.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
