Sao Paulo, Brazil, 25 April – Trade between Brazil and Macau increased by 97 percent in the first quarter of 2007 in a year-on-year comparison to reach a value of US$2.26 billion, according to official Brazilian figures.

Goods worth US$1.94 billion were shipped from Macau to Brazil, representing 86 percent of total two-way exchanges between the countries, according to the Brazilian Trade Ministry. These exports from Macau grew by 70 percent compared to the first three months of 2006 and mainly consisted of blank CDs and DVDs, valued at US$828,000.

Brazilian first-quarter exports to Macau were valued at US$324,000, significantly higher than the US$ 5,000 recorded in 2006. Leather goods, furs and derivatives were the main items in Macau’s import basket from Brazil and valued at US$133,000.

With its exports to Brazil six times higher than imports in the first quarter of 2007, Macau posted a trade surplus of US$1.61 billion with the Latin American state in keeping with the trend seen in 2006. (macauhub)