The agribusiness trade balance Brazil had a surplus of US$ 43.7 billion in the year, up to April, according to the Institute of Applied Economic Research (Ipea). The sector was responsible for pulling the positive balance of the Brazilian trade balance, which presented a surplus of more than US$ 20.2 billion in the year, also until April 2022.
The trade balance is calculated on the basis of imports and exports. According to data released by Ipea, exports from the agribusiness sector this year were US$ 48.7 billion, which represents an increase of 34.9% compared to the same period in 2021. Imports are stable in relation to year, up 0.7%, reaching US$ 5 billion. The balance of other goods was a deficit of US$ 23.5 billion.
In April alone, agribusiness exported US$ 14.9 billion, which, according to IPEA, contributed to a surplus of US$ 13.6 billion in the sector’s trade balance, a growth of 15.2%. compared to the same month in 2021. Brazilian imports from the sector totaled US$ 1.3 billion in the month, up 11.7% compared to April 2021.
Other goods closed the month of April with a deficit of US$ 5.5 billion, US$ 3.7 billion more than in the same period in 2021. Even so, the total trade balance ended April with a positive balance of US$ 8.1 billion.
Products
Soybeans lead agribusiness exports in the country. In the analysis of Ipea, in relation to April of last year, however, soybeans in grain recorded a significant drop in the volume exported due to the oversupply of pork in China, the largest consumer of the product, used mainly as animal feed. With the increase in meat supply, China had to freeze the surplus and reduce investments in herd replacement, which also reduced the demand for feed.
Despite the drop in the volume exported, soybeans had an increase of 41.8% in the price of the grain, compared to April 2021.
The oversupply of pork in China also affected Brazilian exports of the product, which were below those recorded in 2021. Chinese demand for beef, on the other hand, meant that the average prices of this product remained high. Chicken meat had an increase of 27.2% in the average price and of 5.6% in the quantity exported.
In relation to Brazilian imports in agribusiness, wheat appears in the lead, at levels similar to those of previous years. The record harvest in 2021/2022 and the heated international demand meant that wheat produced in Brazil was also sold to other countries, mainly in March and April.
In April, the entry of fertilizers into the country was 72.4% higher than in the same period in 2021, resulting in an increase of 6.4% in the year.
Ipea also highlights that, in total, the value of imports grew 11.7% in April, driven by the general increase in prices. Of the 16 products monitored in this edition, 14 had a rise in prices, while nine had a drop in quantities, including four of the five most expressive items on the import list: fish, vegetables, paper and malt.
