Foreign accounts see surplus in July for fourth consecutive month

Brazil’s foreign accounts reported a positive balance in July for the fourth consecutive month, as announced today (Aug. 25) by the country’s Central Bank in Brasília. The surplus in current transactions—purchases or sales of goods and services as well as income transfers between Brazil and other countries—totaled $1.628 billion. This is the first positive balance in July since 2006 ($3.007 billion). In July 2019, a deficit was reported at $9.790 billion.

In the seven months of the year, current transactions saw a deficit of $11.798 billion, against the negative $30.988 billion in the same period in 2019.

In the 12-month period ending in July, the deficit reached $31.737 billion (two percent of the gross domestic product—GDP), compared to the $43.155 billion (2.65 percent of the GDP) until June this year.

Balance

In July, goods exported totaled $19.652 billion, and goods imported $12.269 billion, resulting in a commercial surplus of $7.383 billion, compared to $1.653 billion in the same month last year. From January to July, the trade surplus came to $26.223 billion, against the $23.910 billion reported in the same time span in 2019.

The deficit in the accounts under services (international travel, equipment transport and lease, among others) added up to $1.819 billion in July, compared to $3.439 billion in the same period in 2019. In the seven months of the year, the negative balance reached $12.232 billion, a lower performance than 2019’s $20.860 billion.

In July 2020, the deficit for primary income (profits and dividends, interest payments and salaries) amounted to $4.148 billion—against the $8.165 billion in the same period in 2019. From January to July, the negative balance stood at $27.276 billion, compared to $34.410 billion in the same span last year.

The account for secondary income (generated in one economy and distributed to another, like donation and dollar transfers, with no services and goods given in exchange) saw a positive result of $211 million, against the $161 million observed in July 2019. In the seven months of the year, the positive number went to $1.487 billion, compared to $1.168 billion in the same period in 2019.

Investment

The net amount of direct investment coming into the country added up to $2.685 billion last month, against the $5.328 billion in July 2019.

From January to July, direct investment entering the country amounted to $25.527 billion, against $36.475 billion in the same seven months of 2019. In the 12 months ending in July 2020, direct investment in the country built up to $62.555 billion—3.95 percent of the GDP—compared to $65.198 billion (4.01% of the GDP) in June.