Brasília, 9/23/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - A trade surplus of US$510 million in the third week of September has pushed Brazil's cumulative surplus for the year to slightly over US$17 billion.

Total exports are now at US$50.6 billion, and imports at US$33 billion. It now seems certain that Ministry of Development forecasts of a record surplus of around US$20 billion will become reality. Meanwhile, the Secretariat of Foreign Trade (Secex) says it believes total exports could be a record US$68 billion, an increase of 13% over last year. (AB)