In the first two weeks of May, which totaled eight working days, the Brazilian trade balance recorded a surplus of US $ 3.1 billion, resulting from exports of US $ 8.8 billion and imports of US $ 5.7 billion. In the year, exports totaled US $ 83.4 billion and imports, US $ 59.9 billion, with a surplus of US $ 23.4 billion.
Exports, compared to the averages for the second week of May 2018 (US $ 1,145 billion) with that of May 2017 (US $ 899.5 million), grew by 23.2%, due to the increase in sales of three categories of products: basic products (38.5% mainly for crude oil, chicken meat, copper ore, soybeans, soybean meal), semimanufactured products (8.9% (7.9% for aviation engines and turbines, plates, sheets, foil, film and foil) and manufactured articles (7.9% plastic, frozen orange juice, plastic polymers and cargo vehicles). In relation to April 2018, there was an increase of 17.4%.
In imports, the daily average up to the second week of May 2018, of US $ 720.6 million, was 30.7% higher than the May 2017 average of US $ 551.3 million. In this comparison, expenditures increased mainly with pharmaceuticals (50.6%), mechanical equipment (45.8%), electrical and electronic equipment (+ 33%), fuels and lubricants (31.1%) and organic and inorganic chemicals ( 30%). In comparison with April 2018, there was a growth of 9.7%, due to the increase in purchases of pharmacists (123.8%), organic and inorganic chemicals (23.1%), plastics and works (21%), electronics and equipment 9.8%) and fuels and lubricants (5.8%).