Brasilia, Brazil, 5 May – China was Brazil’s biggest trade partner last April with trade standing at US$3.2 billion, overtaking the USA, said the Minister for Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.

For the same period, trade with the US was US$2.8 billion.

But the secretary for foreign trade, Welber Barral, said that despite the rise in trade with China being important to Brazil, the loss of ground with North America was negative because they are, traditionally, the main buyers of Brazilian industrial products, whereas China concentrates on buying raw materials, with less added value.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will visit China on the 18th of this month, hoping to boost the value of Brazilian exports to the country.

Although they are increasing, Brazilian exports to China are not particularly significant in terms of Chinese imports, with the US$15 billion in 2008 representing less than 1 percent (macauhub)