Stênio Ribeiro
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília – Brazilian exports for the week ending Saturday, June24, reached US$2.498 billion, an increase of over 30%, compared to the prior week (ending June 17). However, imports, at US$ 1.983 billion for the week were up 57.88%.

According to the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, it is expected that the monthly trade surplus for the second quarter will remain at slightly more than US$3 billion (which is what it was in April and May). That may seem good (the daily average surplus running at around US$100 million), but the problem is that it is far below the surplus of over US$4 billion in June 2005.

For the year the cumulative surplus in now almost US$18 billion, down 5.14%, compared to the same period in 2005.

Translation: Allen Bennett