Trade balance for April has a surplus of US$ 8.225 billion

The Brazilian trade balance showed, in April, a surplus of US$ 8.225 billion, growth of 5.5%, according to data released this Tuesday (2nd) by the Special Secretariat for Foreign Trade and International Affairs of the Ministry of Development, Industry , Commerce and Services (MDIC). Exports in the period reached US$ 27.365 billion, while imports were US$ 19.14 billion, with total trade at US$ 46.505 billion.

From January to April, exports totaled US$ 103.54 billion, an increase of 1.8% in relation to imports, with US$ 79.47 billion, a decrease of 2.2%. As a result of these results, the trade balance showed a surplus of US$ 24.07 billion, growth of 17.9%, and the trade flow registered stability, reaching US$ 183.01 billion.

In comparison with the averages of the same month last year, there was a drop of 0.3% in exports. In 2022, they totaled US$ 1,524.72 billion, and in 2023, US$ 1,520.28 billion. Regarding imports, there was a drop of 2.6% in the comparison between the averages of April this year (US$ 1,063.35 billion) with April 2022 (US$ 1,091.73 billion).

The daily average of the trade flow in April this year totaled US$ 2,583.63 million and the balance, also by daily average, was US$ 456.93 million. Comparing this period with the average of April 2022, there was a drop of 1.3% in the trade flow.

Among the economic partners, the highlight in exports was to Argentina, with an increase of 38.3%, totaling US$ 1.66 billion. For China, Hong Kong and Macau, the increase was 5.3%, totaling US$ 9.36 billion.

Exports to the United States decreased by 7.6%, totaling US$ 2.57 billion and to the European Union, the decrease was 12.2%, totaling US$ 3.46 billion.

Compared to the same month of the previous year, exports in April of this year showed growth of 13.7% in agriculture, totaling US$ 59.47 million and a decrease of 6.6% in the extractive industry, whose result was negative by US$ 20 .52 million and manufacturing industry products, was also negative at US$48.66 million.

The combination of these results led to a decrease in exports, driven mainly by the decrease in the sale of crude petroleum oils or bituminous minerals, crude, iron ore and its concentrates; fuel oils derived from petroleum or bituminous minerals (other than crude oils); in fresh, chilled or frozen beef; gold, semi-finished products, ingots and other primary forms of iron or steel.

Imports, on the other hand, presented in April, a decrease of US$ 5.91 million (23.5%) in agriculture and livestock; growth of US$ 15.03 million (20.1%) in extractive industry and decrease of US$ 38.45 million (3.9%) in manufacturing products.

The decrease was driven mainly by the drop in imports of wheat and rye, not ground; unground corn other than sweet corn; soy; latex, natural rubber, balata, gutta-percha, guayule, chicle and natural gums; vegetables, fresh or chilled; fuel oils derived from petroleum or bituminous minerals (other than crude oils); fertilizers or chemical fertilizers; insecticides, fungicides and herbicides.

Among economic partners, imports from Argentina decreased by 8.8%, totaling US$ 890 million. The same occurred with the US, whose decrease was 21.4%, totaling US$ 3.26 billion. Imports from China, Hong Kong and Macau increased by 2.8%, totaling US$ 3.93 billion and from the European Union, growth was 17%, totaling US$ 3.67 billion.