Brazil posts lowest trade surplus in 10 years

Bloomberg Businessweek/AP, 01/02/2013

Brazil says its 2012 trade surplus is the lowest in 10 years.

The Trade Ministry said Wednesday that Brazil, posted a surplus of $19.5 billion last year, compared to the $29.8 billion surplus registered in 2011.

Brazilian exports in 2012 totaled $242.6 billion, compared to the $256 billion one year earlier.

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Brazil April trade surplus narrows on record imports

Raymond Colitt – Bloomberg, 05/02/2012

Brazil’s trade surplus narrowed to its smallest in a decade for the month of April as imports jumped to their highest level on record for that period.

The trade surplus fell to $881 million in April, from a surplus of $2 billion in March and $1.86 billion a year earlier, the Trade Ministry said in a report published today on its website. The median estimate of 25 economists surveyed by Bloomberg was for a surplus of $300 million.

Imports were $18.69 billion in April, the highest for that month and above the $18.31 billion a year earlier. Exports fell to $19.57 billion in April from $20.91 billion in March and $20.17 billion a year earlier.

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Brazil’s trade surplus more than doubles in July from over a year ago

Mercopress, 08/02/2011

According to the Trade Ministry’s website the Brazilian surplus widened to 3.1 billion dollars in July from 1.3 billion a year ago. However the surplus slipped from June’s 4.4 billion in June.

Exports in July rose to 22.3 billion from 17.7 billion a year ago, while imports increased to 19.1 billion from 16.3 billion dollars, the Trade Ministry said

The Brazilian government slapped a 1% tax on currency futures last week as it seeks to contain the appreciation of the Super Real to protect local manufacturers from foreign competition. Higher commodity prices this year offset gains in the currency, helping increase the 12-month trade balance to 27.1 billion, from 17.7 billion a year ago.

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