Brasilia, Brazil, 5 Jan – Brazil obtained a trade surplus of US$24.615 billion in 2009, the smallest since 2002 when the total was US$13.093 billion, the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade has announced.

The ministry indicated on Monday that the 2009 surplus was 1.4 percent less than in 2008 (US$24.956 billion) and well below the figures for 2007 (US$40.039 billion) and the record in 2006 (US$46.457 million), the year Brazil achieved the biggest surplus in its history.

The 2009 surplus results from exports of US$152.252 billion and imports of US$127.637 billion.

Due to the economic crisis, exports were down 23.08 percent over 2008, while imports also fell by 26.22 percent.

(macauhub)