The dollar follows the international trend and falls against the real while the market monitors US tariffs.
By 2025, the US dollar will have accumulated a decline of 7,68%.
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - The dollar closed lower in Brazil on Thursday, following the general decline of the US currency abroad, even though the market continues to operate under tension amid promises of import tariffs from the United States.
The spot dollar closed down 0,37%, at R$5,7045. In 2025, the US currency has accumulated a decline of 7,68%.
At 17:02 PM on the B3 exchange, the dollar for March – currently the most liquid contract – was down 0,31%, at R$5,7125.
On another day with a light economic agenda in Brazil, investors turned to the external scenario, where US President Donald Trump promised to announce new tariffs next month or sooner, adding timber and forest products to the list of products targeted by his administration. Previously, Trump had already announced his intention to impose tariffs on imported cars, semiconductors, and pharmaceutical products.
However, Trump's indication that the tariffs will not be immediate opened the door for a drop in the dollar on Thursday, especially since the previous session had already seen an increase in the US currency for the same reason -- the promises of tariffs.
“Yesterday we had a somewhat global movement of risk aversion, with (emerging market) currencies performing worse due to the US tariffs issue,” commented Adauto Lima, chief economist at Western Asset, during the afternoon. “Today the exchange rate is returning slightly below R$5,70, giving back some momentum,” he added.
After reaching a high of R$5,7271 (+0,02%) at 9:01 AM, at the market opening, the spot dollar hit a low of R$5,6865 (-0,69%) at 14:43 PM. For the rest of the afternoon, it recovered some momentum, but still closed lower.
"The dollar is falling today, but the scenario is still one of volatility," assessed Lucas Almeida, investment specialist and partner at AVG Capital.
“I believe that the new tariffs announced by the Trump administration increase uncertainty in global trade, and this type of protectionist measure can have contradictory effects: on the one hand, it strengthens the dollar in the short term due to the search for safety; on the other hand, it can generate adjustments in capital flows, benefiting some emerging currencies, such as the real.”
Abroad, the dollar continued to fall against virtually all other currencies -- the exception being the Argentine peso. At 17:11 PM, the dollar index -- which measures the performance of the US currency against a basket of six currencies -- was down 0,73%, at 106,400.
