São Paulo – The Brazilian trade balance continues to register surplus in May. According to date release this Monday (25th) by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MDIC), last week the trade balance stood positive with US$ 296 million, the result of US$ 4.143 billion in exports and US$ 3.847 billion in imports. <\/p>\n
The business day average of foreign sales, however, declined 4.8% over the first two weeks of the month. There was a drop in shipments of semi-finished products (-26.2%), especially raw sugar, cellulose, hide, ferro-alloys, iron and steel semi-manufactured products, and gold, also semi-manufactured. Among basic goods, there was a decline of 3.9%, especially with crude oil, iron ore, poultry, beef and tobacco. <\/p>\n
However, exports of finished products increased 2.4% in the daily average, with airplanes, autos, oxides and hydroxides of aluminum, motors and generators, orange juice and hydrocarbons leading the way. <\/p>\n
On the other hand, the imports’ rate in a business day increased 9.2% over the first two weeks of May. According to the MDIC, there was a hike especially in the foreign purchases of mechanical equipment, electrical and electronic appliances, auto and auto parts, and plastics and its by-products. <\/p>\n
In the month of May, in total, the exports already reached US$ 12.843 billion, and imports, US% 10.895 billion, which resulted in a surplus of US$ 1.948 billion. Year-to-date, however, the trade balance still remains in a deficit of US$ 3.118 billion, due to foreign sales of US$ 70.774 billion and purchases of US$ 73.892 billion. <\/p>\n
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani<\/strong><\/p>\n