São Paulo – The Brazilian trade balance registered the third weekly surplus last week, according to data released this Monday (27th) by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (Mdic). This time, the Brazilian foreign trade surplus stood at US$ 204 million. From July 20th to the 24th, Brazilian exports fetched US$ 3.9 million with imports at US$ 3.7 billion.
This was, however, the lowest surplus of the month. In the first week of July, the trade balance registered a surplus of US$ 636 million. The second week had a US$ 174 million surplus, and the third registered a surplus of US$ 1.2 billion. With last week’s results accounted for, the Brazilian foreign trade surplus stands at US$ 1.8 billion in July’s 18 first business days. Until now, exports revenues reached US$ 14.6 billion and spending with imported products added up to US$ 12.7 billion.
Last week’s exports, however, declined 4.6% over July’s first three weeks. The daily average of shipments from July 20th to the 24th stood at US$ 786.8 million over the US$ 824.4 million of the previous period.
There was a decline in the sales of basic goods due to soybeans, crude oil, soy meal, leaf tobacco and pork, and of finished products due to auto and autoparts, fuel oils, engines and generators. Meanwhile, the sales of semi-finished products increased, influenced by shipments of raw sugar, wood pulp, hides and skins, copper cathodes and semi-finished gold.
Last week, imports had a daily average 7% higher than in the three previous weeks of July, with US$ 746 million over US$ 696.9 million. There was an increase in purchases of fuels and lubricants, mechanical equipment, electronic devices, auto and autoparts, and organic and inorganic chemical products.
Until July’s fourth week, the year-to-date Brazilian trade balance surplus stands at US$ 4 billion. In the period, Brazil posted exports revenues of US$ 108.9 billion and spending of US$ 104.8 billion with imports. The foreign trade flow registered US$ 213.8 billion.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
