Analysts expect Brazil's economy to contract by 3.33% this year, with the outlook worsening from last week, the Central Bank said Monday. Last week, analysts said they expected Brazil's economy to contract by 3.21% this year.
Brazilian Congress gave on Tuesday a harsh welcome to President Dilma Rousseff at its yearly inaugural session, booing her and threatening new difficulties added to the turbulent relations that prevail between the executive and legislative branches.
Industrial output in Brazil fell for a seventh straight month in December, capping the worst year for manufacturers in more than a decade as they struggle with inflation, high interest rates and political uncertainty.
Brazil posted a primary budget deficit in 2015 of 111.25 billion Reais (roughly $27.29 billion), the biggest since the data series began in 2001, the Central Bank said on Friday. The primary budget deficit (before interest payments), equivalent to 1.88% of GDP, was more than triple the primary budget gap in 2014 (32.5 billion reais, or 0.57% of GDP).
Brazil will release 83 billion reais (US$20.4 billion) in new credit from state-run banks for farmers, builders and other businesses suffering in a shrinking economy, resuming stimulus efforts it had largely eschewed in last year's austerity drive.
Cities across Brazil are cancelling carnival celebrations as increasing economic woes hit Latin America's largest economy. Local governments are citing tightened budgets, with lower tax revenues and more important projects in need of funding.
Brazil's total agricultural exports slid 8.8% to US$88.2 billion in 2015, compared to the previous year, despite record sales of soybeans, corn, chicken, coffee and cellulose, officials said. The drop in sales was caused by falling prices for the commodities Brazil sells on the global market, Foreign Agribusiness Relations Secretary Tatiana Palermo said.
Analysts expect Brazil's economy to contract by 2.95% this year after contracting by 3.71% in 2015, marking the biggest drop in economic output in 25 years, the Central Bank said on Monday. The first survey of analysts released this year shows that private sector economists expect the inflation rate to hit 6.87% in 2016.
Financial and political turmoil that have Brazil on the brink of a depression is also contributing to one of the best years ever for domestic farmers. Economic stress and a weak currency has facilitated export revenue for everything from soybeans to beef to coffee.
Analysts expect Brazil's economy to contract by 3.62% this year, with inflation hitting 10.61%, the Central Bank said Monday. GDP and inflation estimates come from the Boletin Focus, a weekly Central Bank survey of analysts from about 100 private financial institutions on the state of the national economy.