Brazil recorded a public current account surplus of US$412 million in April, the first positive result since 2009. Brazil's central bank's chief economist, Tulio Maciel, on Tuesday said the result was way better than anticipated.
The soaring US dollar and Brazil’s slumping economy led to a weaker demand for imported goods and services in 2015. As a result, Brazil’s current account deficit reached USD 58.942 billion, equivalent to 3.32% of GDP. The result is the smallest amount since 2010. In 2014, the current account deficit reached USD 104.181 billion, or 4.31% of GDP.
Brazil had a current account deficit of 6.635 billion in May, above the previous record high of 6.356 billion for this month posted last year, central bank data showed this week. It was the widest on record for the month of May as Brazilians spent more on international travel and foreign companies sent profits and dividends abroad. Brazil's current account deficit in April was 8.291 billion.
Brazil's current account deficit narrowed in March after an improvement in the trade balance, but it was still the second largest on record for that month, central bank data showed. The country posted a current account deficit of 6.248 billion last month, down from 7.445bn in February.
Brazil posted a budget primary surplus of 3.5 billion Reais (1.75bn dollars) in March, recovering after a deficit in February, but still the worst performance in the first quarter of the last four years, according to central bank data released this week.
Brazil’s current account deficit surged to a record high in January, outpacing foreign direct investment for the third straight month because of the widening trade gap according to central bank data.
The Brazilian central bank reduced reserve requirements on short dollar positions held by local banks as it steps up efforts to buoy the Real, the worst performing major currency this year.
Brazil's primary budget surplus narrowed in September, distancing the government from its full-year surplus target, but the central bank said that target is still within reach. The accumulated primary surplus of January through September narrowed to 75.8 billion Brazilian Reais (37.3 billion dollars) from 104.6 billion Reais in the same period a year earlier.
Loan delinquencies at Brazilian banks fell in March for the first time this year, a sign that households are reining in debt to get current on their obligations, central bank data showed on Wednesday.
Brazil posted a record-high current account deficit in 2011 on rising profit remittances by multinational companies and massive spending abroad by Brazilian tourists, but the deficit was more than covered by another record, this time for foreign direct investment, the central bank said Tuesday.