Stênio Ribeiro
Reporter - Agencia Brasil

Brasilia – Brazil exported in March the equivalent to US$11.367 billion, and spent US$7.686 billion with external purchases, which resulted in a trade surplus of US$3.681 billion. A 30.48% increase when compared to the previous month, and 10.11% more in relation to March of last year.

With these results, the trade balance in the first quarter of 2006 reached US$9.346 billion, which was 12.52% more (US$1.040 billion) than that of the same period of last year. Exports totaled US$29.388 billion (+20.2%) and imports, US$20.042 billion (+24.1%), according to a bulletin issued this Monday (3), by the Ministry of Development, Industry, and External Trade.

Trade balance numbers show that the 12-month accumulated surplus (April/2005-March/2006) adds up to US$45.799 billion. Greater, therefore, than the record of US$44.7 billion registered during 2005, in spite of all official and market projections that indicate a trade balance reduction this year, by at least 10%.

Translation: Andréa Alves