The secretary provides for improvement of exports and imports in 2017 – EBC

The secretary of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Industry, Abram’s Grandson during the collective data dissemination of the brazilian trade balance in 2016Fabio Rodrigues Pozzebom/Agência Brasil

The Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services provides for the recovery of brazilian exports and imports in 2017 and a surplus at the level of the logged in 2016, US$ 47,69 billions. The information is from the secretary of Foreign Trade of the folder, Abram’s Grandson, who commented today (2) the surplus of 2016, the highest since the beginning of the historical series of the government, in 1989.

"If this scenario [of recovery for 2017] if you confirm, it will be the first increase in exports in the last five years and exports over the last three years. This would lead to an increase in the trade chain, which does not occur since 2014," said Neto. In 2016, in spite of the surplus record, the daily average exported fell to 3.5% from 2015, and the daily average imported decreased by 20,1%.

The positive balance last year was due to the fact that imports have fallen more than exports. The foreign sales fell mainly due to the reduction of prices of commodities (primary goods with international price). Already imports declined, among other reasons, because the demand for goods from abroad – among which are the inputs and capital goods, used in industrial production – decreased because of the economic crisis in the country.

According to Abram’s Grandson, for this year it is hoped to improve this scenario, with an expected recovery of prices of commodities minerals, although the uncertainty of the prices of commodities agricultural. The secretary also highlights the growth forecast of the economy and world trade for this year and the evolution of imports, which gave sign of improvement even in 2016.

Trend

In the first quarter of 2016, the imports fell by 33.4% compared to the same period of 2015. In the second quarter, the fall was of 23.9% is made the same comparison. In the third quarter, imports fell by 13.2% over the same time interval of the previous year and, finally, in the fourth and last quarter of the year, fell to 6.1%, according to the criterion of daily average.

In the month of December, imports recorded a high of 9.3% compared to the same month of 2015, according to the same criterion. The secretary of Foreign Trade, however, believes that the best data to evaluate the scenario are checked in the quarters. "This [the increase in imports in the month] is explained for a basis of comparison very low in December of 2015."

According to Neto, the projection of growth of the brazilian economy this year will allow the imports to continue in recovery. On Monday, the bulletin Focus, a weekly research of the Central Bank with the projections of financial institutions, predicted growth of 0.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP-sum of goods and wealth produced in a country) in 2017. The government is still waiting for this year, maintenance of the exchange rate, favorable to exports.

Even with exports and imports falling, the Foreign Trade secretary says that the outcome of 2016 is good for the country. "It is important to highlight the importance of this surplus in relation to maintenance of inventories, robust foreign exchange reserves and also the contribution to the improvement of our external accounts. Until November, the trade balance contributed to a 75% reduction in the deficit of current transactions of the country."

Edition: Luana Lourenço