Brasília, April 2, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - Brazil will export more than US$ 80 billion this year. This is the estimate made by the secretary of Foreign Trade, Ivan Ramalho, according to whom the country's trade balance will depend upon the performance of imports. For Ramalho, the increase in imports of raw materials and inputs shows that industrial production is reacting.

According to the secretary of Foreign Trade (Secex), exports in the three product categories -- basic products, manufactured goods, and semi-manufactured goods -- broke records in the first quarter of the year. Total exports for the period, US$ 19.4 billion, were 27.2% superior to Brazil's exports in the first quarter of 2003.

The products that Brazil sold in greatest quantity include automobiles, airplanes, shoes, motors for vehicles, autoparts, soybeans, iron ore, meat, corn, apples, turkey, cellulose, skins and hides, pig iron, and soybean oil.

The secretary informed that Brazil increased its exports to all the economic blocs, with the exception of the American market. In terms of non-traditional markets, Brazilian exports to Ethiopia, Mozambique, Poland, Croatia, Vietnam, Lithuania, and Tajikistan were all higher.

Translator: David Silberstein