Brasília, 6/26/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The current transactions surplus in May of US$882 million is the best result for the month of May since 1990 (when the surplus was US$1.040 billion), reports Altamir Lopes, the head of the Economic Department at the Central Bank. According to Lopes, the May surplus was "very good," with strong exports leading the way. For June, Lopes says the current transaction surplus should be around US$800 million.

For the last 12 months there is now a cumulative current transactions deficit of US$572 million. Lopes reports that that is the best result since October 1994, when the defict was US$1 billion. However, as a percentage of GDP, the deficit in May was 0.13%; in October 1994, it was 0.19%. (AB)