In the month, foreign sales surpassed international purchases by US $ 3.129 billion and throughout the year 2018 by US $ 37.165 billion
In the fourth week of August 2018, the trade balance recorded a surplus of US $ 441 million, resulting from exports of US $ 4.027 billion and imports of US $ 3.586 billion. In the month, exports totaled US $ 16.223 billion and imports, US $ 13.093 billion, with a surplus of US $ 3.129 billion. In the year, exports totaled US $ 152.682 billion and imports, US $ 115.517 billion, with a positive balance of US $ 37.165 billion.
Check here the complete data of the trade balance
The average week’s exports reached US $ 805.4 million, 14.2% below the average until the 3rd week (US $ 938.1 million) due to the fall in exports of the three product categories: basic (- 24.2%, on account of crude oil, soybeans, copper ore, chicken, beef and pork, leaf tobacco, soybean meal); semi-manufactured products (-18.6%, pulp, raw sugar, sawn or chipped wood, raw zinc, raw tin) and manufactured products (-0.2% by reason of heaters, driers, steel, ethanol, passenger cars, earthmoving machinery and equipment).
On the import side (US $ 717.2 million), there was a decrease of 1.9% in relation to the 3rd week (US $ 731.3 million), mainly explained by the decrease in expenses with organic and inorganic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electrical and electronic equipment, mechanical equipment and fuels and lubricants.
In the month
In exports, compared to the averages of August 2018 (US $ 901.3 million) and August 2017 (US $ 846.6 million), there was a growth of 6.5%, due to the increase in sales of manufactured products (14 , 7%) and basic products (12.8%). On the other hand, sales of semimanufactured products fell (-24.6% on the basis of raw sugar, semi-manufactured iron / steel, ferro-alloys, hides and skins, raw zinc). Relative to July 2018, there was a 13.3% drop, due to the decrease in sales of basic products (-25.4%) and semimanufactured goods (-16.3%), while sales of manufactured products increased 9% 7%.
In imports, the daily average up to the 4th week of August 2018 (US $ 727.4 million) was 20.5% above the average of August 2017 (US $ 603.4 million). Fuel and lubricants (48.9%), motor vehicles and parts (37.5), organic and inorganic chemicals (28.6%), fertilizers and fertilizers increased (20.3%), and mechanical equipment (13.7%). In comparison with July this year, there was a drop of 14.2%, due to the reduction in imports of beverages and alcohol (-25.5%), cereals and products from the milling industry (-8.6%), pharmaceuticals (-6 , 9%), steelmakers (-6.1%) and mechanical equipment (-4.9%).
Source: MDIC
