Shipments totaled $ 17 billion, a record historical figure for the first month of the year. The result was boosted by the sale of manufactured goods, which rose 23.6%
Brasília, February 1 – In the first month of the year, the trade balance surplus reached US $ 2.8 billion, the second best result of the historical series, started in 1989, for January. The data were released today by the Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services (MDIC). Exports totaled US $ 16.968 billion, a record result for the period, which represented a growth of 13.8% compared to January 2017. Imports totaled US $ 14.199 billion, an increase of 16.4% in the same comparison month of last year.
Exports increased both in terms of prices (0.81%) and quantities (12.9%), in all categories of products. However, the positive result was especially driven by the sale of manufactured goods, which rose 23.6% in the period. “This increase in the quantities exported is mainly related to the warming of world demand,” explains the Director of Statistics and Export Support, Herlon Brandão. “World GDP grew more than 3 percent in 2017 and growth is expected to grow in that order in 2018,” he adds.
Aircraft shipments (474%), fuel oil (323%), refined sugar (294%) and earthmoving machinery (171%) increased, among other products. “The heated world economy demands Brazilian products. On the other hand, Brazil has increased its production, mainly of agricultural goods, of oil, of ore. Investment in these areas causes the country to have surplus to be exported, “says Brandão.
The month of January also showed a significant result in imports, which increased by about 10% in volume. Fuel and lubricant purchases (96.3%), consumer goods (19.2%), capital goods (11.4%) and intermediate goods (5.8%) increased over this period.
Imports are expected to remain heated throughout the year. “We expect imports to grow at rates higher than exports in 2018. GDP growth is expected to be 3%, which should encourage imports of goods. This will make the annual balance decrease, but still positive and among the largest in history, at $ 50 billion, “explains Brandão.
Destinations and origins
The top five buyers of Brazilian products were China (US $ 3.366 billion), the United States (US $ 2.247 billion), Argentina (US $ 1.205 billion), the Netherlands (US $ 871 million) and Chile (US $ 540 million). The main suppliers markets in January were China (US $ 2.844 billion), the United States (US $ 2.390 billion), Germany (US $ 876 million), Argentina (US $ 727 million) and South Korea (US $ 540 million).
Source: MDIC
