Stênio Ribeiro
Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília – Brazil's foreign debt closed out the month of August at US$182.62 billion, down US$9.7 billion from June, reports the Central Bank.

The reduction came with the payment by the government of US$2.5 billion in Euro-2005 and Global-2005 bonus bonds, and an advance payment of US$5 billion to the International Monetary Fund. The private sector also paid down debts totalling US$2.1 billion in the same period.

In August, Brazil's debt profile was as follows: US$164.8 billion (down from US$174.5 billion in June) in medium- and long-term debt, and US$16.7 billion in short-term.

Meanwhile, foreign reserves rose to US$60.2 billion.

Translation: Allen Bennett