Agro Exports increases 25% and yield US$ 27 billion
Valor Econômico - 06/10/2008
Pushed up by US$ 7.58 billion in shipments registered only in May of this year, the exportation of agribusiness' products have already yielded US$ 27.23 billion in the accrued of the first five months of 2008. The result is 25% superior to the US$ 21.73 billion of the same period of 2007, points the Secretariat of International Relations of the Ministry of Agriculture. So, the trade balance surplus amounts to US$ 22.55 billion (increase of 22.6%) this year. At an even more accelerated rhythm, the importations resulting from the agribusiness grew 40%, amounting to US$ 4.68 billion until May. The external purchases of the soy complex, for instance, went 360% up in May, which may result in the transfer of the grain's processing from Argentina to Brazil due to the official prohibitions of exportations in the neighbor country. In the accrued in 2008, these purchases have grown five times. Regards exports, the sales of corn (110%), soy complex (65%), meat complex (31%), forest products (17%) and coffee (16%) have skyrocketed in the five first months of this year. In total, the group of five products represented US$ 19.3 billion in earnings for the country so far.