Brazilian exports of agribusiness products totaled $6.287 billion, in July, which represented a reduction of 20.7 percent over the same period last year. However, if sector foreign sales dropped to most economic blocs and regions, to some countries, sales posted significant growth. This is the case with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, India, Thailand and Indonesia. The UAE, for example, in the period analyzed, boosted imports of Brazilian agribusiness products by 77.5 percent. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, in July this year Brazil exported to the Arab country $121.22 million, against $88.72 million in the same month in 2008. With this, the participation of the UAE in Brazilian exports rose from 0.9 percent to 1.3 percent. Agribusiness trade balance figures showed that sales to the UAE generated revenues of $503.2 million in the first half of this year, against $388.12 million period last year. That is, growth of 29.6 percent. In the ranking of main importers of the Brazilian agribusiness productive chain, Saudi Arabia is in the 13th position, answering to 2.3 percent of Brazilian exports to the world. From January to July this year, Brazil exported to the Saudis $871.47 million, against $739.81 million in the seven first months of 2008, growth of 18.6 percent. Sales to Saudi Arabia last month, when compared to July, grew 1.8 percent, resulting in revenues of $168.29 million. If foreign sales to the Middle East and Africa grew 7.2 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively, agribusiness exports presented a reduction to most economic blocs and regions. Last month, sales to Asia dropped 12.9 percent when compared to July 2009. In the period analyzed, the European Union reduced Brazilian agribusiness product imports by 24.3 percent; the European Union by 30.9 percent, the Aladi by 39 percent and the Mercosur, by 31.3 percent. The trade balance in July also shows that the sectors that presented positive rates of growth were the sugar and alcohol complex (10.9 percent), tobacco and its products (15.4 percent), live animals (14.8 percent) and bee products (32.8 percent). However, most sectors presented lower export values: the soy complex (-22.1 percent), meats (-27.6 percent), forestry products (-37.3 percent), coffee (-8.4 percent) and leather and its products (-33.9 percent). The locomotive of Brazilian exports, the soy complex (grain, chaff and oil) registered a negative performance last month, with a reduction of 22.1 percent in revenues, which totaled $2.204 billion. The values of soy in grain that were exported dropped when compared to July 2008 (from $ 3.347 billion to $ 1.468 billion). The volume exported dropped 15.9 percent and prices dropped 8.1 percent. Exports of soy chaff generated revenues of $ 546 million, 1.7 percent higher.
