In the first month of 2023 exports reached US$ 4.9 billion, while exports totaled US$ 5.4 billion and the trade balance recorded a deficit of US$ 484 million.
Highlights:
- In January, exports totalled US$ 4.9 billion, representing a fall of 11.7% –the lowest level since February 2021–, which evidences the effects of the drought, due to the decrease in quantities (−13.3%), while prices increased slightly (1.6%).
- Imports amounted to US$ 5.4 billion (2.5% growth), driven by higher prices (3.2%). Highlights include increases in the prices of Motor vehicles and Fuels and lubricants. Imported amounts of Capital goods and Intermediate goods fell, while those of Parts and accessories of capital goods increased.
- The trade balance run a deficit of US$ 484 million, while in January of the previous year there had been a surplus of US$ 297 million.
- There stand out the increases in exports of raw gold (US$ 82 million); motor vehicles for the transport of goods, of total weight with maximum load less than or equal to 5 t (US$ 71 million); and lithium carbonate. The main falls recorded comprise wheat (−US$ 688 million); biodiesel; maize (−US$ 167 million); sunflower oil (−US$ 78 million); and crude petroleum oils (−US$ 52 million).
- Regarding imports, there stand out the largest purchases of diesel oil (US$ 159 million growth); fuel oil (US$ 84 million); electrical energy (US$ 76 million); and printed circuits with electrical or electronic components for phones (US$ 69 million). A decrease was recorded in the imports of automatic data processing machines (−US$ 51 million); semi-finished iron, non-alloy steel (−US$ 44 million); and vaccines for human medicine (−US$ 40 million).
- The three main partners, Brazil, China and the United States, absorbed as a whole 34.1% of the exports and supplied 55.3% of the imports. In turn, the European Union concentrated 12.4% of shipments and 15.9% of purchases.
- The largest surpluses were in trade with Chile (US$ 195 million), Peru (US$ 179 million), Colombia (US$ 118 million), Indonesia (US$ 112 million) and Switzerland (US$ 108 million).
- The highest deficits were recorded with China (US$ 723 million), Brazil (US$ 462 million), Germany (US$ 185 million), United States (US$ 122 million) and Thailand (US$ 120 million).
