Stênio Ribeiro
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília - Brazil exported US$ 9.804 billion worth of merchandise last month and imported US$ 6.707 billion, resulting in a US$ 3.097 billion trade surplus in April. This was a good result in terms of Brazil's historical foreign trade performance, but it represented a 15.84% decline in relation to March and a 19.97% decline in relation to April, 2005.

April's figures raised the country's trade surplus so far this year to US$ 12.438 billion, 2.16% more than during the same period last year. Exports amounted to US$ 39.292 billion, and imports, US$ 26.753 billion. Both trade flows showed significant growth, but imports expanded more (24.56%), compared to a 16.46% growth in exports.

The general figures for April's trade balance were released yesterday (2) by the Ministry of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade. They show that over the past 12 months Brazil exported more than ever before during a 12-month period: US$ 123.846 billion.

Translation: David Silberstein