Exports from Brazil reached US$ 12.661 billion in October, an 0.90% increase compared to the previous month. In the same period, imports reached US$ 8.745 billion, presenting growth of 7.68%.
Thus, the trade balance surplus was US$ 3.916 billion. In the accumulated result for the year, the surplus was US$ 37.891 billion, a 4.37% increase over the same period in 2005.
The figures were announced yesterday, November 1st, by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade. The data show that the October surplus was 11.54% lower than the surplus for the previous month. Still, it was 6.53% higher than the outcome for October 2005.
Exports for the year totalled US$ 113.373 billion, a 17.3% increase, whereas imports increased 25.1%, amounting to US$ 88.763 billion.
During the last 12 months, exports reached US$ 135.059 billion, and imports totalled US$ 88.763 billion, which makes for the highest surplus ever. The surplus from November 2005 to October 2006 is US$ 46.296 billion.
When faced with these results, the Foreign Trade secretary at the ministry, Armando Meziat, stated that economic conditions in Brazil show that it is possible for Brazil to double exports over the next four months.