Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina saw its exports grow 21.4% from January to July this year when compared to the same period last year. The value was US$ 4.9 billion. Meats were responsible for a large share of the performance.
Foreign sales of chicken meat and giblets grew 53% from January to July, and remain as the main product in the state's export basket, at US$ 989.1 million. In second place came tobacco, with US$ 414.3 million, engines and electric generators, US$ 267.4 million, and hermetic compressors, US$ 255.4 million.
Despite the 8.3% reduction this year, the United States is still the main foreign client for state sales, at US$ 684.5 million. Then come the Netherlands (US$ 337.9 million), Argentina (US$ 326.2 million), Japan (US$ 288.8 million) and Germany (US$ 233.8 million).
Imports continued their trajectory of growth that has been verified since early this year. The US$ 4.5 billion accumulated up to July represent growth of 72.2% over the first seven months of 2007.
The products most purchased by the state were industrial inputs like copper cathodes (US$ 576.1 million), artificial polyester threads and fibers (US$ 122.1 million), new tires for vehicles (US$ 102.3 million) and linear polyethylene (US$ 102.1 million).
With the great surge in purchases, the state's trade balance result has been falling. The reduction is already 70.3%, from US$ 1.44 billion from January to July 2007 to US$ 427 million in the same period this year.
CNI
