Weekly Report - 15 August 2013 (WR-13-32)

BRAZIL | Record trade deficit. Brazil posted a trade deficit of US$1.89bn in July, the trade ministry said on 1 August. The result was well below expectations for a US$480m surplus. Monthly exports were down 5.2% from July of 2012, at US$20.8bn, but July imports rose 4.8% against the same month a year ago, to US$22.7bn. For the period January through July, Brazil rolled up a trade deficit of US$5bn. The country had posted a trade surplus of US$9.9bn for the same period of 2012.