In the fourth week of January this year, the Brazilian trade balance recorded a deficit of US$ 561 million and a trade flow of US$ 5.693 billion, as a result of exports worth US$ 2.566 billion and imports of US$ 3.127 billion. The data released this Monday (27), by the Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex) of the Ministry of Economy also show that, in the month, exports totaled US$ 11.397 billion and imports, US$ 11.041 billion, with a positive balance of US$ 356 million and trade flow of US$ 22.437 billion.
Analysis of the week
Average exports for the fourth week reached US$ 513.2 million, 30.3% below the average of US$ 735.9 million up to the third week. The reduction is due to the drop in exports of the three categories of products: basic (-37.5%), from US$ 371.5 million to US$ 232.0 million, due to crude oil, iron ore, raw cotton, beef, pork and chicken, soybeans; manufactured goods (-23.5%), from US$ 252.6 million to US$ 193.2 million, mainly due to aircraft, acyclic alcohols and their halogenated derivatives, fuel oils, earthmoving machines and equipment, gasoline; and semi-manufactured products (-21.3%), from US$ 111.8 million to US$ 87.9 million, due to semi-manufactured iron/steel products, sugar raw materials, cast iron, cellulose, hides and skins.
On the import side, there was a drop of 5.2%, over the same comparative period – average for the fourth week, US$ 625.4 million, over the average up to the third week, US$ 659.5 million. The decline is mainly explained by the decrease in spending on mechanical equipment, organic and inorganic chemicals, copper and its works, motor vehicles and parts, and electrical and electronic equipment.
Analysis of the month
In exports, comparing the averages up to the fourth week of January 2020 (US$ 670.4 million) with that of November 2019 (US$ 822.0 million), there was a drop of 18.4%, due to the decrease in sales of the three product categories: manufactured (-26.5%), from US$ 320.1 million to US$ 235.1 million; semi-manufactured goods (-20.3%), from US$ 131.4 million to US$ 104.7 million; and basic (-10.8%), from US$ 370.5 million to US$ 330.5 million.
In relation to December 2019, there was a decrease of 22.5%, due to the drop in sales of basic products (-30.9%), from US$ 478.6 million to US$ 330.5 million; and manufactured goods (-18.2%), from US$ 287.5 million to US$ 235.1 million. On the other hand, exports of semi-manufactured products increased (+6.3%), from US$ 98.5 million to US$ 104.7 million.
In imports, the daily average up to the fourth week of January 2020, of US$ 649.5 million, was 12.8% below the average for January last year (US$ 744.9 million). In this comparison, spending fell, mainly on aircraft and parts (-41.1%), fertilizers and fertilizers (-31.3%), fuels and lubricants (-12.7%), motor vehicles and parts (-11.9%), organic and inorganic chemicals (-7.4%). In relation to December 2019, there was an increase of 8.6%, due to increases in pharmaceuticals (+34.2%), steel mills (+29.3%), electrical and electronic equipment (+28.3%), plastics and works (+19.9% ) and mechanical equipment (+14.8%).
