Brazil exported in January the equivalent to US$ 9.271 billion, an increase in 24.5% in comparison to the same month last year. Imports, in turn, added up to US$ 6.427 billion, an increase in 22.2% in relation to January 2005.
This resulted in a surplus in the trade balance favorable to the country by US$ 2.844 billion and in a global trade of US$ 15.698 billion. All values are records for the month of January, according to information released by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.
According to the Ministry, there was an increase in the daily average exports of basic products (47.8%), such as oil, soy, cotton, iron ore, poultry and beef; manufactured products (10.3%), such as fuel oil, automobiles, plane laminates, gasoline, ground leveling machinery, electric engines and cargo vehicles; and semi manufactured products (4.4%).
Among the destinations, there was a drop in 1.2% in the exports daily average to the United States, main importer from Brazil and responsible for purchases worth US$ 1.764 billion in January.
For the other regions there were increases. The exports daily average to the Middle East, for example, increased by 25.6% and to Africa, by 19.9%.
Some Arab countries considered non-traditional destinations increased considerably their purchases from Brazil in January. This was the case of Morocco, which imported the equivalent to US$ 46.5 million, an increase in 48% in comparison to January 2005; of Somalia, Qatar and Djibouti.
As per imports there was an increase in 32.5% in purchases of consumer goods, by 22.7% of fuels and lubricants, by 21% of capital goods and by 10.5% in raw materials and intermediary goods.
In the last 12 months, including January, Brazilian exports surpassed US$ 120 billion and imports added up to US$ 74.7 billion, resulting in a US$ 45.4 billion surplus and global trade of US$ 194.8 billion.
Anba