Brasília, October 24, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Brazil's international reserves stood at US$ 52.7 billion at the end of September, US$ 4.9 billion more than the previous month's US$ 47.8 billion. These figures were released Thursday (23) in a Central Bank report on the External Sector.

The result is due strictly to external operations, marked by the transfer of US$ 4.2 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the emission of US$ 750 million in federal government bonds, and the repayment of US$ 1.3 billion to the IMF. There was also US$ 101 million in revenues representing earnings on reserves.

The report also informs that total foreign debt reached US$ 217 billion in July: US$ 1.7 billion less than in the previous month, as the result of a US$ 799 million reduction in medium and long-term debts and a US$ 943 million decline in short-term debt. Of this total, US$ 20.3 billion correspond to debts payable in the coming months. (DAS)