Brazilian exports reached US$ 2.031 billion last week, down 28.31% when compared to the previous week. Meanwhile, imports increased 6.25%, reaching US$ 1.633 billion.
As a result, trade balance (exports minus imports) totaled only US$ 398 million, which is 69.3% less then the previous week balance of US$ 1.296 billion. Important: last week had only four business days.
Trade balance numbers, released this Monday, April 17, by Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry and External Trade, show that the year’s accumulated balance reached US$ 11.040 billion, which is an increase of 13.83% over the US$ 9.699 billion registered the same period of last year.
So far this year, total exports add up to US$ 34.252 billion against imports of US$ 23.212 billion.
Farm Exports
Agribusiness sector exports were up 16% in March, compared to March 2005. According to the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, the sector’s month’s exports reached US$ 3.979 billion, a record for the month of March.
Ministry spokespersons explained that the strong performance of some goods "fattened" total exports. For example, soy exports were up 38.8%, sugar and ethanol (up 46.4%), paper and cellulose (up 21.2%), leather and its byproducts (up 15.2%) and meats (up 5%).
Brazil-Venezuela Cooperation
The Federation of Industries of the State of Paraná (Fiep) is going to organize business roundtables with more than 100 businessmen from this southern Brazilian state and 40 Venezuelans on Wednesday, April 19, at the Integrated Center for Businessmen and Workers of the Industries of the State of Paraná, in the state’s capital city Curitiba.
The Venezuelans are interested in selling products in the services sector, as well as in plastics, transportation, aluminum, low income housing, civil construction, foods and petrochemicals.
However, according to the general coordinator for New Businesses at Fiep, Henrique Ricardo dos Santos, there are also many opportunities for Brazilian entrepreneurs.
ABr, Anba