Brazil’s foreign trade performance has been better than the rest of Latin America and the global average, according to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Brazilian imports increased by 10.4% in the first half of 2018, compared to the same period last year, representing almost double the increase of 5.8% in Latin America.
Exports – On the export side, Brazil’s high was 1.9% in volume, also above Latin America, of 1.3%. By way of comparison, China increased its exports by 5.2% and imports by 11.2%.
Tensions – All regions of the world increased the volume of exports and imports in the first half. But the escalation of business tensions uneasy. Rising tariffs between some major countries have not very strong economic impact, but the uncertainties already cause investment to be suspended. And this has a negative impact on trade, since capital goods tend to have higher import content.
Source: Valor Econômico / Sistema Ocepar