São Paulo – The Brazilian trade balance showed a US$ 58 billion surplus, according to results issued this Monday (27th) by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade. The surplus is the result of US$ 3.08 billion in exports and US$ 3.02 billion in imports. Exports averaged at US$ 771.5 million in the fourth week of April, up 5.2% from the average from the first three weeks.
Week-on-week, semi-finished exports climbed by 25.9%, fueled by raw sugar, raw aluminum, ferroalloys, leathers and hides and gold. Finished goods exports also increased, by 7.2%, mostly due to autos, aircraft, auto parts, refined sugar and vehicle engines. Basic goods exports declined, by 0.3%, due to lower sales of crude oil, iron ore and beef.
Despite the positive weekly result, month-to-date through the fourth week of April, Brazil had a trade deficit of US$ 50 million, stemming from US$ 11.88 billion in exports and US$ 11.93 billion in imports. Daily average exports also dropped, by 24.7%, from April 2014, to US$ 742.8 million. Foreign sales declined across all three product categories so far this month: basic, semi-finished and finished goods.
Year-to-date through the fourth week of April, Brazil is running a US$ 5.6 billion trade deficit, with exports at US$ 54.6 billion and imports at US$ 60.2 billion. Bilateral trade has reached US$ 114.9 billion. Year-to-date, daily average exports are down 16.3% to US$ 709.9 million.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
