Agência Brasil
Brasília – So far this year the trade balance shows a cumulative surplus of US$ 3.185 billion, with exports amounting to US$ 10.652 billion and imports, US$ 7.467 billion. Compared with the same period last year, exports were up 28.3% and imports, 18.8%, in terms of averages per business day.
In the third week of February (16-22), according to data released yesterday by the Ministry of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade, the surplus came to US$ 724 million.
Compared with February, 2003, there was a 29.4% increase in average exports per business day and an 11.7% increase in average imports. In comparison with January, 2004, average exports rose 17.1% per business day, while average imports grew 8.2%. So far in February the cumulative trade surplus stands at US$ 1.597 billion.
The daily average of Brazilian exports increased 29.4% in the third week of February, compared with the average for the same period last year. According to data from the Secretariat of Foreign Trade (Secex), average daily sales went from US$ 250.1 million to US$ 323.5 million. There were increases in the three product categories.
Exports of basic commodities — principally corn, soybeans, soy meal, beef, chicken, iron ore, and coffee beans — grew 44.6%. Sales of manufactured goods — refined sugar, cargo vehicles, airplanes, furniture, sheet metal laminates, auto parts, automobiles, and footwear — rose 25% on the average. Semi-manufactured exports — raw soy oil, iron alloy, raw sugar, raw aluminum, cast iron, hides and skins, and semi-manufactured iron and steel products — were up an average of 23.5%.
