Data released by the Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services ( MICS ) show that the trade surplus last July was the highest for that month since 2006. The surplus of $ 4.58 billion exceeded the July 2015 $ 2 19 billion, an increase of 91.8 % . Since the start of the series in 1997, this is the third largest surplus for the month, being second only to the trade balance of 2005 ( US $ 5.0 billion ) and 2006 ( $ 5.7 billion ).
This surplus hides, however, reductions of 11.9% in export value and 27.2% in import values, compared to July 2015. In total, Brazilian exports reached US $ 16.33 billion last month, while imports reached US $ 11.75 billion – the lowest level since 2009. These reductions were due to the decrease in trade in both industrial products as agribusiness.
The 15 products most exported Brazilian agribusiness reached US $ 6.5 billion in sales last month, 39.9% of the total, says the Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (CNA). This figure was 15.1% lower than the same period of 2015. Among the main products in the industry, increased exports of refined sugar (52.7% to US $ 200 million), raw sugar (44.6% or US $ 863 million), tobacco leaves (7.3%, US $ 192 million), ethanol (5%, $ 105 million) and lumber (4.9%, $ 43 million). On the other hand, imports of food and beverages for industry and consumption grew 11.1% between July 2015 and July 2016, but their total value was only US $ 851 million last month.
The reduction in exports of agribusiness does not mean, however, that the industry is losing its export vocation. In the year (January-July), foreign sales of the fifteen major agribusiness products reached US $ 43.2 billion, 2.7% higher than the same period of 2015. Of the 15 major chains, eight had growth in exports and seven had retraction.
Among the sectors whose sales shrank, they highlight the coffee beans and hides and skins. In the case of coffee beans, this reduction is due to the reduction in production in 2016. Since the hides and skins industry increased the amount of material shipped abroad, even with a decrease in export value. This performance can be explained by three factors: variation in domestic production, cyclical factors and also the change in the amount of sales of certain products.
