With revenue of US$25.2 billion from sales to other countries in 2023, Paraná established a new annual export record. The value is 13.7% higher than the result obtained by the State in 2022, when revenue was US$22.1 billion, and also represents growth well above the national figure, which was just 1.7% in the same period, according to data from the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (MDIC).
The increase recorded by the State last year was the largest in the South and Southeast of the country. After Paraná, there is Espírito Santo, with an increase of 4.2% in foreign sales, São Paulo (2%) and Rio de Janeiro (0 .8%). On the other hand, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina recorded a drop in exports, with variations of -0.5%, -1.3% and -3.3% respectively.
The recent good performance in foreign trade saw Paraná move from the sixth to the fifth largest exporter in the country, surpassing Rio Grande do Sul, which last year had US$22.3 billion in sales to other countries. The ranking is led by São Paulo, with US$71 billion in exports.
According to the president of the Paraná Institute of Economic and Social Development (Ipardes), Jorge Callado, the results of exports crown an exceptional year for the economy of Paraná, whose Gross Domestic Product (GDP) accumulated an increase of 6.91% in the three first quarters of last year.
“The increase in economic activity measured by the Central Bank in the year to October was the largest in the country, the unemployment rate fell to 4.6% and, now, exports from Paraná are breaking records, which highlights the good result obtained by the productive sector with the support of the State Government”, analyzed Callado.
PRODUCTS – As has happened in previous years, soybeans were once again the main highlight of Paraná’s exports, accounting for 23.5% of the total sold by the State abroad in 2023. Next, fresh chicken meat appears (with a share of 14.5%), soybean meal (7.7%), cereals (5%) and raw sugar (4.5%). Over the last five years, Paraná has accumulated consecutive increases in annual food exports, rising from US$9.7 billion in 2019 to US$15.8 billion in 2023.
In addition to agribusiness, high-technology manufactured goods also played an important role in Paraná’s exports, demonstrating the dynamism of the state’s economy. This is the case with car sales, which increased by 3.6%, rising from US$526 million to US$545 million between 2022 and 2023.
CONSUMER MARKETS – In total, goods produced in the State landed in 215 destinations. The biggest buyers were China (US$7.1 billion), Argentina (US$1.5 billion) and the United States (US$1.4 billion), responsible for 28%, 6.3% and 5. 8%, respectively, of the total sold by Paraná in 2023. Mexico appears in fourth, closing the “billion list”, with US$ 1.021 billion.
In the case of China, which was already the largest buyer of Paraná products in 2022, the volume of exports almost doubled last year. The value went from US$3.6 billion to around US$7.1 billion, corresponding to a large part of the annual surplus.
Even small countries like Tuvalu and Papua New Guinea, both in Oceania, also purchased products from Paraná.
IMPORTS – In the opposite direction, state imports of items manufactured abroad totaled US$ 18.2 billion last year, a drop of 18.8% compared to 2022, when there were US$ 22.4 billion in foreign purchases. As a result, the trade balance in Paraná ended the year with a surplus of US$7 billion.
Check out the detailed Ipardes report HERE.
Source: Agência de Notícias do Paraná
