Foreign accounts positive in March

Current transactions in Brazil—including purchases and sales of goods and services, as well as income transfers between the country and the world—closed out March with a positive balance of $1.397 billion, the highest value for March since 2005, which saw a surplus of $1.716 billion. Figures were released today (Apr. 25) by the Central Bank.

In the first three months of the year,  transactions reported a deficit of $4.624 billion, compared to a deficit of $7.597 billion in the same period last year.

The balance of trade (all goods imported and exported) helped reduce the gap in current transactions with its $6.935 billion surplus in March, and a $13.816 surplus in the first quarter.

The account with the biggest deficit was primary income (profits and dividends, interest payments and salaries), with -$3.194 billion last month, and -$11.595 billion in the first three months of 2017.

Foreign investment

Direct investment in the country—funds entering the country headed for the production sector of the economy—added up to $7.109 billion in March and $23.943 billion in the first quarter of the year.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira