The trade balance recorded in June a deficit of 115 million dollarsthe first negative balance since December 2020 to date, reported the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (Indec).
The deficit verified in the sixth month of the current year was essentially explained by the increases in the purchases of liquefied natural gas and diesel, for 422 million dollars in both cases; natural gas in gaseous state, for 117 million dollars; and monoammonium phosphate, for 106 million dollars), among other increases.
In June, heExports totaled US$ 8,432 million, with an increase of 20% year-on-year, while imports were for US $ 8,547 million, with an increase of 44% compared to the same month of 2021.
The INDEC reported that if the prices of June of the previous year had prevailed, the trade balance would have shown a surplus of US$ 224 million dollars.
The latter is explained by the fact that the export price index increased 20.7%, below the value of imported products, which rose 26.4%.
In this framework, the result of the commercial exchange throughout the first half of the year marked a positive balance of US$ 3,093 million, compared to US$ 6,774 million in January-June 2021.
Among the factors that impacted the result of the sixth month of the year, according to the Indec report, was also the unit value of international freight, of US$ 107.3 per ton, which was 48.4% higher than that of same period of 2021 (US$ 72.3) and 94.7% higher than June 2020 (US$ 55.1).
In June the quantities of primary products sold fell 12.3% in year-on-year termswhich was partially offset by a 15.4% increase in prices, bringing this item to a total of US$ 2,049 million.
For its part, Exports of Manufactures of Agricultural Origin registered a rise of 3.7% Regarding the quantities sold, with prices 21% higher than twelve months ago, which left a total turnover of US% 3,474 million.
Meanwhile, the volume of shipments of Manufactures of Industrial Origin rose 4%, with prices 12% higher than those of last year, which determined a foreign exchange income of US$ 2,183 million.
An item in which an increase in the quantities sold with greater force was observed, of the order of 11%, was in Fuel and Energy, with prices 69% higher than in June 2021, with a total turnover of US$ 727 million.
On the contrary, the importation of Fuels and Lubricants marked an increase of 19% in the quantities with values 118% higher than in June 2021, which determined payments for US$ 1,953 million, an amount equivalent to more than double that registered last year.
#DatoINDEC
Foreign trade: in June 2022, exports grew 20.3% year-on-year; and import, 44.6% https://t.co/GSfphEub8B pic.twitter.com/bCNgIsXDpM— INDEC Argentina (@INDECArgentina) July 20, 2022
Regarding the main trading partners, the INDEC report detailed that Brazil continues to be the main actor, with exports for US$1,240 million and imports for US$1,693 million, with a negative balance of US$453 million.
In second place was the United States, with exports for US$734 million and imports for US$1,539 million, with a deficit of US$966 million.
Sales to China, meanwhile, totaled US$613 million and purchases US$1,579 million, with a negative balance of US$966 million.
The two main positive balances occurred in trade with India and Chilewhich posted surpluses of US$385 million and US$287 million, respectively, in June.
