Brazil Exports Reach US$ 112 Billion, Imports US$ 83 Billion

Brazil's trade balance surplus (exports minus imports), in the third week of September, between the 17th and 23rd,  was US$ 414 million, with foreign sales of US$ 3.272 billion and purchases of US$ 2.858 billion. In the month, the trade balance surplus has already reached US$ 2.08 billion.

According to figures disclosed Monday, September 24, by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, in the year to date, the trade balance result has reached US$ 29.593 billion in 183 working days, a reduction of 7.1% in comparison with the first nine months of last year.

Although exports grew 18.9% in comparison with the period from January to September 2006, imports maintained an accelerated rhythm of growth, having risen 32% in the same comparison.

Up to the third week of September, exports have reached US$ 112.3 billion and imports US$ 82.73 billion.

Rio's Record Exports

With export of US$ 1.3 in August, 20.7% over the result in the same month of 2006, a historic record for the month, and imports of US$ 739.1 million, the state of Rio de Janeiro has registered a trade surplus of US$ 599.5 million, 27.8% over the same month last year.

This is the second highest surplus in the state's recorded history, only exceeded by September 2006, which was US$ 702.8 million. The figures disclosed are in the Rio Exporta Bulletin, published by the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan).

Foreign sales of the state were powered by the good performance of the mechanical industry, which presented the greatest growth among the sectors researched in August 2006, in the year to date and also in the last twelve months. Alone, petroleum is still the main export product, responsible for almost half of the growth in the month.

In the first eight months of the year, exports from the state of Rio de Janeiro totaled US$ 8.444 billion, increasing revenues in twelve months to US$ 12.848 billion, with growth of 24.5% over the same period in 2006.

Although the greatest contribution in the state's export basket in August came from the machine industry, which posted growth of 941.6% over the month of August 2006, with strong participation of machinery, equipment and installations for general use, oil is still the main export product.

Foreign sales of oil rose 16.4% in the same comparison, and the commodity was responsible for almost half the absolute growth of state exports.