São Paulo – The Brazilian trade balance registered a surplus of USD 850 million last week, according to data released this Tuesday (22nd) by the Secretariat of Foreign Trade (Secex) of the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (Mdic). The amount is the result of USD 3.59 billion in exports and USD 2.74 billion in imports.
Average daily exports declined 2.1% to USD 778 million over the values posted in December of last year, but average daily imports declined even more at 29.9% in the same comparison with USD 548 million, which explains the surplus. The sharp decline in imports was the result of less spending with purchases of fuel and lubricants, auto and autoparts, electric equipment and electronics, plastic products and mechanical equipment.
The export results occurred due to weaker sales of basic goods in 7.8%. This estimation includes products such as iron ore, coffee beans, crude oil, beef and poultry. Also, semi-finished products declined in 3.7% due to cast iron, semi-finished gold, hides and skins, sawn wood and iron alloys. But there was an increase of 5.9% in external sales of manufactured products, especially due to flexible iron and steel pipes, passenger vehicles, tractors, ethanol, engines and generators and aircrafts.
Year-to-date until December’s third week, the Brazilian trade balance also registers a surplus of USD 16.6 billion, with USD 185.2 billion in exports and USD 168.5 billion in imports.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
