RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Reaping the rewards of a positive impact of the appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the Brazilian real, the Brazilian trade balance in 2021 reached its second highest positive result since 1989, when official records began.
In the year-to-date, through the fourth week of December, the ratio between imports and exports reached a surplus of US$60.39 billion, according to data released Monday, December 27, by the Ministry of Economy’s Secretariat of Foreign Trade (SECEX).
According to official data, Brazilian exports in 2021 now total US$275.84 billion, up 34.6% from last year. Imports rose 38.5%, totaling US$215.45 billion.
The trade balance result this year is the best since 2017, when high commodity prices such as minerals and a record harvest helped the country reach a positive balance of US$67 billion.
The growth in foreign sales of primary goods such as soybeans, unroasted coffee, crude oil and ore helped Brazil reach this year’s result, the Economy Ministry said.