Warning: Amazonas' trade deficit reaches US$6 billion.
The volume of manufactured goods sold abroad in the region fell; June's result is the third worst of the year, with a difference of almost US$1 billion between imports and exports.
247 – The issue is historical, but it must be addressed for the benefit of the Amazonas economy. Accustomed to having trade deficits, due to importing more inputs than it exports manufactured goods, the region is experiencing a particularly acute moment regarding the difference between purchases and sales. Since the beginning of the year, the deficit has already reached US$ 6 billion, with the June result (-US$ 998 million) becoming the third worst of the year. This situation is already worrying authorities and trade associations.
Below is a news report published on the website of the newspaper A Crítica regarding this matter:
Luana Gomes - A Crítica - In six months, Amazonas registered a trade deficit of US$ 6,01 billion, a 5,32% increase compared to the same period of the previous year, according to data from the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (Mdic). In June, the state recorded its third worst result of the year, with a negative balance of US$ 998,68 million. The state experienced a 13,41% drop in the number of products sent abroad, after registering its best performance in terms of export volume in 2012, with figures corresponding to US$ 88,85 million in May.
Based on the survey, the import result was the third highest recorded this year, although it was 14,72% lower than the immediately preceding month. While in the fifth month of the year, the amount of dollars originating from goods sent outside the domestic market was US$ 1,26 billion, in June, these figures were US$ 1,07 billion. Although with the appreciation of the dollar, the economics professor at the Federal University of Amazonas (Ufam), Renilson da Silva, analyzed that the increase should only be reflected in the indicator's performance in the second half of the year, considering the advance orders and, consequently, the stock of industries in the region.
Despite the potential impact of the rising US dollar on second-half results, Silva pointed out that Amazonas is not traditionally known for exporting, so the changes would not have a significant impact. He explained that one option to boost positive data signals is the establishment of semiconductor industries in the country, preventing the high demand for imported electronic components. "If this happened, we could reverse this performance of the trade balance," he noted.
The vice-president of the Federation of Industries of the State of Amazonas (Fieam), Nelson Azevedo, commented that Amazonas is not a "prominent exporter," but this balance should improve with the demand for national component suppliers. "Especially when the import of expensive components directly influences the price of the final product, which means a loss of competitiveness in the region."
National Data
Between July 2nd and 6th, Brazil's trade balance registered a surplus of US$623 million. The accumulated balance is US$7,69 billion, with exports of US$122,57 billion and imports of US$114,88 billion.