Brazil is very close to reaching the trade balance surplus forecasted for 2004. The accumulated balance between January and the second week of November has reached US$ 29.3 billion, 88.9% of the total forecasted for the year.
This means that the country has seven weeks to reach the US$ 33 billion forecasted by the Central Bank.
Brazilian export revenues reached US$ 82.9 billion from the beginning of the year to the second week of November, having grown 30.7% when compared to the US$ 63.4 billion in the same period in 2003.
Imports in turn rose from US$ 42.1 billion to US$ 53.5 billion, showing growth of 27.1%.
In the first two weeks of November, export revenues totalled around US$ 421.4 million per day, 41% more than that registered in the same period in 2003, when sales totalled US$ 299 million per day.
Exports grew motivated mainly by sales of semi-manufactured goods, like iron, steel, sugar, aluminum, wood, leather, and cellulose. These kinds of products had 77.3% greater daily exports.
The increase in foreign trade revenues from basic products rose 41.4% when comparing the daily average of November this year to that of November 2003.
The products showing the greatest increase in trade were tobacco, oil, soy, iron ore, chicken meat, cattle beef and pork.
Daily exports of manufactured goods, among them oils, pumps and compressors, machinery, motors, vehicles, shoes, furniture and laminates rose 33.4%.
The daily import increase was motivated mainly by the expansion of purchases of ironworks and pharmaceutical products, vehicles, plastics, optical and medical equipment, electric and electronic equipment, chemical products, fuel and mechanic equipment.
The daily average of imports totalled US$ 284.9 million, 33.7% more than the US$ 213 million of November 2003.
In the first two weeks of November, exports reached US$ 3.7 billion, and imports US$ 2.5 billion. The surplus reached US$ 1.2 billion.
ANBA ”“ Brazil-Arab News Agency
