Trade balance has a surplus of US$8.5 billion in May

The Brazilian trade balance had a surplus of US$8.5 billion in May 2024. The result represents a drop of 22.3% compared to the same month in 2023, when the positive balance was US$11.0 billion.

The data was released this Thursday (June 6, 2024) by the Foreign Trade Secretariat of the Mdic (Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services). Here is the full presentation (PDF – 3 MB).

The 2024 result is the 3rd best for the month of May in the historical trade balance series, started in 1989. It is second only to the balances of 2023 and 2021.

Exports totaled US$30.3 billion in May – a decline of 7.1% compared to the same period in 2023 (US$32.7 billion).

Here is the data below regarding economic activity:

• agriculture – drop of US$ 1.7 billion (-18.5%);
• extractive industry – growth of US$ 0.94 billion (13.8%);
• transformation industry – drop of US$ 1.51 billion (-9.2%);

Imports reached US$21.8 billion – an increase of 0.5% compared to May 2023.

ACCUMULATED

From January to May 2024, the surplus is US$35.9 billion. It represents an increase of 3.9% compared to the first 5 months of 2023 (US$34.5 billion).

Exports total US$ 138.8 billion in 2024 (growth of 2.3%). Imports totaled US$ 102.92 billion in the period (an increase of 1.8%).