April Exports and Imports Set Record for the Month, Says Brandão

The Director of Foreign Trade Statistics and Studies at the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC), Herlon Brandão, stated that in April this year, both exports of Brazilian goods, which totaled USD 30.4 billion, and imports, which reached USD 22.3 billion, were the highest ever recorded for the month in the historical series.

The statement was made during a press conference to comment on the trade balance figures for April, which the Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex) of the MDIC released earlier.

“Economic activity continues to grow in Brazil, driving demand for imported goods,” he said.

Despite the record performance for April, exports have shown “a certain stability” each month compared to the same period in the previous year. The positive highlight has been the manufacturing industry, whose sales “continue to grow.” In April, the value exported by the sector increased 2.4%, reaching USD 15 billion.

Vietnamese Coffee

The increase in coffee imports to Brazil last month, mainly from Vietnam, may be linked to the reduction of the Import Tax on this product, according to Brandão.

In March, the federal government eliminated the Import Tax on ten products to combat rising food prices. According to data released Wednesday by the MDIC, import volumes increased for seven products compared to April 2024. They were biscuits and cookies (+88%); green coffee (from 0 to 4.7 thousand tonnes); roasted coffee (+35%); corn (+131%); pasta (+16.4%); other cane sugars (+16.8%); and canned sardine preparations (+484%).

On the other hand, imports of olive oil (–4.6%), boneless meats (–33%), and sunflower oil (–17.3%) decreased. According to the MDIC director, most of these results, however, should be interpreted with caution.

“Sometimes comparing figures 12 months apart isn’t very accurate,” said Brandão, noting that factors such as changes in the origin of goods and low bases for comparison, such as the case of canned sardines, can complicate the analysis.

“Coffee, yes, is something new. We saw this volume of coffee coming in from Vietnam, which historically hasn’t been competitive in Brazil.”

Source: Valor Econômico

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