Mylena Fiori
Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília – According to the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, the biggest growth in Brazilain exports last year was in manufactured goods. Compared to 2004, exports of manufactured goods rose 23.5% in 2005, accounting for 54.9% of all exports, compared to 55.1% in 2004. The total of exported industrialized goods (manufactured and semi-manufactured) rose to 68.6% of all exports, leaving raw materials to account for 29.3%.

Leading sector exports were cell phones (up 99.6%), cargo vehicles (50.4%), tractors (40.2%) and earth-moving equipment (37%). Also strong were refined sugar (36.7%) and autos (31.6%).

Exports of cell phones to the United States, which remains the biggest buyer of Brazilian goods, rose 180%, aircraft 246% and tractors 242%.

There was also a surge in manufactured goods exports to Argentina: cell phones up 176%, tractors up 194% and diesel motors up 415%. Sales of compact cars to Argentina also rose over 42%, while larger models were up 36.5%.

Translation: Allen Bennett