In March, requests for the export of goods —including free zones— they totaled US$ 1,056 million and grew 28% in the year-on-year comparison, the Uruguay XXI Institute reported this Friday.
Exports of bovine meat, wheat, rice, cellulose, soybeans and vehicles are the ones that explained the increase during the past month. On the other hand, live cattle, malt and wood had a negative impact on this month’s variation.
In the first quarter of 2022, exports totaled US$2,896 million. This figure means an increase of 37% in the interannual comparison. The dynamism of sales is given by beef, followed by wheat and vehicles, according to Uruguay XXI.
The product that explained to a greater extent the year-on-year growth of exports in March was beefto. Its sales increased 28% compared to March last year. China and the United States, which accounted for 75% of purchases this month, increased their purchases by US$59.5 and US$3.6 million, respectively.
On second place, wheat is found. The growth of foreign sales of this cereal is explained both by the increase in the quantities sold as a result of the rise in its price due to the conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. The January-March 2022 quarter closes with US$ 160 million exported, 120% more than what was registered in the first quarter of 2021.
Uruguay XXI
Rice was the third product with the highest incidence in March. Its exports amounted to US$ 44 million and more than tripled in year-on-year terms. The main destinations for this product were Venezuela (27%), Cuba (23%), Brazil (13%), Costa Rica (14%) and the Netherlands (5%). In the first quarter of this year, foreign sales of rice totaled US$105 million, 86% more than in the same period last year. Pulp exports increased 23% in year-on-year terms (from US$ 107.6 to US$ 132.6 million).
For their part, the Vehicle exports totaled US$30.8 million in March and their year-on-year increase was US$19.9 millionyes The main market was Brazil, which increased its purchases of the product in relation to March 2021 by 161%.
Less sales to Europe but more to the rest
As for destinations, there are increases in sales to Uruguay’s main partners compared to March 2021, with the exception of the European Union whose purchases fell 5.6%, according to Uruguay XXI. There was an increase in export requests to China of 6%, to Brazil of 13.5%, the United States of 20.1% and Argentina of 53%. The destinations that follow them in amount were: Algeria (146.2%) and Chile (80.4%).
Exports to China in March totaled US$235 million and were made up of bovine meat (74%), meat by-products (10%), wood (4%), dairy products (4%), sheep and goat meat (2%), unprocessed barley (2%) and other products (5%). Despite the overall increase, decreases in the sales of several products are observed. In particular, the Wood exports suffered a reduction of 70% year-on-year. The exception was beef, whose sales increased 52%, says the official report.
