The government of the northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco is celebrating the record performance obtained during the first half of the year with exports, which increased by 77% in comparison with the result for the same period last year.
The state executive secretary for Economic Development, Tom Uchoa, attributed the historic result, which reached US$ 359 million, to exports of higher added value products, such as butadiene rubber, used to manufacture tires.
According to him, among other products that contributed to Pernambuco’s good trade performance are fuels and lubricants produced in various states and re-exported through the local bases, as well as corks, lids and accessories for metal packagings.
The secretary emphasized that sugar has maintained its traditional leadership amongst the exported products, presenting an increase in 27% during the first six months of the year, going from US$ 52,5 million to US$ 66.8 million.
Uchoa observed that Pernambuco, traditionally known as an importing state, has been managing in the last few months to revert the deficit in their trade balance, through an expansion of the export basket.
“Exports of tropical fruits, produced in the São Francisco Valley, in the interior of the state, managed a more agile logistics to meet the European market and the United States. With this, they also had a significant impact on the positive result,” he said.
Two months ago the producers in the Valley, who had to send the fruit to São Paulo and from there they were shipped to the foreign market, started counting on a freighter airplane that flies regularly between the city of Petrolina and the buying countries in Europe.
The state government has already started working so that the percentage increase registered now is kept at the same level until the end of this year.
ABr – www.radiobras.gov.br