BRASÍLIA: Brazil’s trade balance reached a surplus of US$ 45bn by the third week of December. The third week period recorded a US$ 864 million surplus from exports of US$ 3.969bn and imports of US$ 3.105bn. The result is far better than last year when the whole year surplus was US$ 19.69 billion. In 2016, exports so far have totaled US$ 178.088bn and imports, US$ 133.083bn, with a surplus of US$ 45.005bn.
Exports in the third week reached US$ 793.8 million, 15.3% above the US$ 688.2 million second week, because of a 24% increase in exports of manufactured products and 6% in commodities. On the other hand, sales of semi-manufactured products decreased -13.8%.
Among manufactured goods were aircraft, cars, refined sugar, cargo vehicles and flat iron and steel products. Among commodities, iron ore, crude oil, soybean meal, soybeans, and corn in grain. As to imports they increased 10% over the previous week mainly due to greater purchases of fuel and lubricants, electrical and electronic equipment, fertilizers, optics and precision instruments, and plastics.
