The agricultural segment was responsible for 70% of Paraná’s exports in 2023

The agricultural sector, which includes food, plywood, paper and cellulose, was responsible for 70% of the volume exported in 2023 by Paraná. The state amount in the period was US$25,2 billion, while the products that make up agriculture totaled a value of more than US$17,6 billion.

The data are from the Ministry of Development, Industry and Commerce (MDIC), compiled by the Paraná Institute of Economic and Social Development (Ipardes). They point out that, in relation to 2022, growth in the agricultural sector was 21%. During that period, the segment exported US$14,5 billion.

The analysis carried out by Ipardes shows that the US$ 25,2 billion from sales in Paraná in 2023 exceeded by 13,7% the US$ 22,1 billion accumulated throughout 2022, establishing a new record for exports by the State. With this, Paraná went from sixth to fifth largest exporter in the country, surpassing Rio Grande do Sul, which reached US$22,3 last year.

“Paraná experienced a very difficult year in 2022 due to the frosts and above all the drought, which took more than 31 billion reais from agricultural production”, analyzed the Secretary of Agriculture and Supply, Norberto Ortigara. “Last year, even though there was excess rain between October and November, we managed to recover what the State is capable of”. In grains alone, the harvest exceeded 45,6 million tons.

Products

Among them, soy remains Paraná's main export product. In 2023, the best-selling item abroad reached the mark of US$ 5,9 billion sold, accounting for 23,5% of all exports from Paraná. In second place came fresh chicken meat, with US$3,6 billion (14,5% share). The third most exported product in the period was soybean meal (US$ 1,9 billion) and fourth, cereals (US$ 1,2 billion).

In the last five years, Paraná has accumulated consecutive increases in annual food exports, rising from US$9,7 billion in 2019 to US$15,8 billion in 2023. However, the wood, paper and cellulose segments, which also make part of the agricultural sector, did not have the same positive performance, as a result of the reduction in prices.

The stock, which had reached US$871 million in 2022, reduced to US$758 million, a drop of 12,9%. Cellulose saw an even more pronounced decrease, from US$766 million to US$599 million (-21,8%). The main reduction was in plywood or plywood, with 26,9% less revenue from foreign sales, from US$643 million to US$470 million.

According to the Ipardes study, despite the preponderance of agribusiness products in Paraná's exports, high-technology manufactured goods also played an important role. As in the case of automobiles, whose sales to the international market totaled US$545 million, an increase of 3,6% compared to US$526 million in 2022.

Destinations 

In total, goods produced in Paraná landed in 215 destinations. The biggest buyers were China (US$7,1 billion), Argentina (US$1,5 billion) and the United States (US$1,4 billion), responsible for 28%, 6,3% and 5,8. 2023%, respectively, of the total sold by Paraná in 1. Mexico appears in fourth, with US$ XNUMX billion.

In the case of China, which was already the largest buyer of Paraná products in 2022, the volume of exports almost doubled last year. The value went from US$3,6 billion to around US$7,1 billion, corresponding to a large part of the annual surplus. 

Even small countries like Tuvalu and Papua New Guinea, both in Oceania, also purchased products from Paraná.

Imports 

In the opposite direction, state imports of items manufactured abroad totaled US$18,2 billion last year, a drop of 18,8% compared to 2022, when there were US$22,4 billion in foreign purchases. As a result, the trade balance in Paraná ended the year with a surplus of US$7 billion.

Fertilizers led imports by the State, totaling US$ 2,1 billion. The volume, however, was 40% lower than the US$3,5 billion purchased by Paraná in 2022.

In second place came oils and fuels, which also saw a reduction in imports. While in 2022 these products generated US$2,5 billion, last year the amount fell to US$1,8 billion – a reduction of 27,6%.