Brazilian exports totaled US$ 3,228 billion and imports, US$ 3,387 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of US$ 159 million in the first week of March. The data were supplied, today, March 10, by Brazil's Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, which discloses the weekly trade balance results every Monday.
A negative result of US$ 81 million was recorded in the fourth week of February as well. This was the first trade deficit recorded ever since the third week of May 2002 (US$ 35 million).
In the accumulated result for the year, totaling 46 business days, the balance of trade maintained a surplus of US$ 1.667 billion (daily average of US$ 36.2 million), lower than recorded in the same period of 2007 (US$ 5.634 billion).
Exports totaled US$ 29.305 billion, at a daily average of US$ 637.1 million, and imports stood at US$ 27.638 billion, resulting in a daily average of US$ 677.4 million.
In 2007, up until the first week of March, imports did not follow the same pace and reached US$ 16.701 billion, whereas foreign sales stood at US$ 22.335 billion.
As imports are growing at a stronger rate than exports, market analysts have reduced their projection for the balance of trade from US$ 30 billion down to US$ 29 billion, according to the Focus bulletin, published this Monday, March 10, by the Brazilian Central Bank.
ABr
