Stênio Ribeiro
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília - Last week Brazil exported US$ 2.56 billion, 3.75% less than in the previous week. Imports totaled US$ 1.69 billion, 3.25% less than in the previous week. The trade balance for the period March 20-24 amounted to US$ 870 million.

Adding in this result, the trade balance in the 18 business days in March, up to now, comes to US$ 3.016 billion, which represents the best monthly trade surplus so far this year, since the trade surpluses in January and February were around US$ 2.8 billion. Since there are still five business days left in the month, this month's surplus is expected to surpass the surplus in March, 2005, which was US$ 3.34 billion.

For the year as a whole, the trade surplus now stands at US$ 8.68 billion, compared with US$ 7.98 billion for the same period last year. This represents a growth of 8.73% in the quarter, with exports amounting to US$ 27.11 billion and imports totaling US$ 18.43 billion. It is worth mentioning, however, that this growth has been gradually diminishing, since exports have increased 17.62%, while imports have increased 22.34%.

The figures on the country's trade balance last week were announced today (27) by the Ministry of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade.

Translation: David Silberstein