The Brazilian trade balance ended the month of April breaking a record. Daily export revenues reached US$ 460 million, the greatest value registered in the country’s history.
In the month, exports totalled US$ 6.8 billion and imports US$ 3.8 billion, according to information supplied by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade. The trade surplus was US$ 3 billion.
“If we continue at this rhythm and count on the beginning of soy shipping, it is very possible that we may reach US$ 10 billion exported in a month,” stated the Foreign Trade secretary, Ivan Ramalho.
According to the secretary, manufactured products, with greater added value, were once again those that presented the strongest performance in the month.
Exports of these products totalled US$ 4.9 billion in the month, a growth of 56% in comparison to April last year.
The increase in sales took place, according to Ramalho, due to a greater volume shipped in the month, and not to higher prices.
In the case of basic products, price increases generated growth in export revenues. This group’s export revenues totalled US$ 2.8 billion, rising 49% over the same month in 2004. Coffee, for example, presented a growth of 62.7% in prices, pork, 41.7%, and sugar in bulk, 48.5%.
Some countries were more responsible for this good performance of Brazilian exports. Ecuador, for example, purchased 106% more, Uruguay, 89.3% and Venezuela, 87% more.
The Latin-American Integration Association (Aladi), which includes Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico, apart from Brazil, surpassed the United States in terms of purchases.
Sales to the Aladi reached US$ 1.9 billion and to the United States, the total was US$ 1.7 billion.
Imports also reached a daily average record for the month of April, with US$ 266 million. Purchases of good rose 20.8%, those of capital goods 20.7%, and those of raw and intermediary materials, 19.6%. Imports of fuels and lubricants, in turn, dropped.
Anba