Agencia Brasil

Brasilia – Brazil trade relations with other countries exceeded, for the first time, US$200 billion in a 12-month period, between April 2005 and March of this year.

The Ministry of Development, Industry and External Trade release trade balance numbers this Monday (3). The Ministry’s External Trade Secretary, Armando Meziat, celebrates the number. He says that even though this volume represents less than 2% of world trade, numbers show that Brazil is advancing in the process of opening its economy.

The Secretary recalled that current external trade represents 25% of Brazilian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and added, "The ideal for open economies is that this volume reaches 30% of the GDP." Exports totaled US$123.245 billion and imports, US$77.446 billion.

Armando Meziat said he believes that external sales will easily reach the 2006 goal of US$132 billion.

Translation: Andréa Alves