Brazil Records Positive Monthly Trade Balance of US$3.28 Billion in August

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – As released on Monday, September 2nd, by the Special Secretariat of Foreign Trade and International Affairs of the Ministry of Economy, Brazilian trade registered a positive balance of US$3.28 billion (US$820 million) in the month of August.

The value is 23.7 percent higher than that reached in the same period in 2018.

In August, the country exported US$18.85 billion, a drop of 8.55 percent over the same month last year. Imports totaled US$15.57 billion, which is down 13.32 percent compared to August 2018.

According to data from the Special Secretariat for Foreign Trade and International Affairs, exports of basic products, such as corn, leaf tobacco, coffee beans, pork, and iron ore totaled US$10.34 billion.

Manufactured products, such as cars, engines, and auto parts, totaled US$6.16 billion. Semi-manufactured products, such as iron, steel, and iron alloys, totaled US$2.31 billion.

From January to August, the accumulated trade balance showed a surplus of US$31.75 billion, 12.9 percent lower than that reached in the same period in 2018, which was US$ 36.66 billion.

Exports totaled US$ 148.85 billion in 2019. The figure represents a 5.2 percent drop in relation to the same period in 2018, which was US$ 157.9 billion.

Imports totaled US$ 107.09 billion, a drop of 2.8 percent over the same period in the previous year, which was US$121.23 billion.