Exports from Mato Grosso do Sul surpass US$5 billion in the year

Soy and cellulose boosted Mato Grosso do Sul's trade balance, guaranteeing a surplus of US$3,71 billion in the year to date. Exports totaled US$5,098 billion, while imports totaled R$1,38 billion from January to June. In exports, there was a 6,20% drop in the value sold, while imports fell 12,1% in the year.

The numbers are contained in the Foreign Trade Situation Letter, published by the economics and statistics coordinator of Semadesc (Secretariat of State for Environment, Development, Science, Technology and Innovation).

Regarding the main exported products, 'Soy' appears as the first item on the export list, with 37,94% of the total exported in terms of value or equivalent to US$ 2,3 billion in the year. The second product on the agenda was 'Cellulose', with a 20,49% share and revenue of US$771,6 million. Compared to the same period of the previous year, there was an increase of 35,39% in export value. Beef stood out in third place with US$443 million sold.

In the opinion of Semadesc secretary, Jaime Verruck, in the case of beef, the State is beginning to see the first positive results from the accreditation of slaughterhouses for China. “The resumption in beef exports already shows how much the growth in the qualification of slaughterhouses has been favorable for exports from MS”, he highlighted.

Cellulose, which was also highlighted in the trade balance, was mentioned by Verruck. “Cellulose continues to have a very dynamic and strong market. We had a 35% growth in exports compared to the same period last year”, celebrated the secretary.

In terms of imports, Natural Gas stands out, making up 43,64% of total imports, followed by Fertilizers (10,24%) and Copper (6,62%). “When we look at the result of the scale we see a reduction in the import of natural gas and this impacts our revenue. But there is a justification, which is Bolivia's lack of capacity to supply natural gas. Bolivian wells show a drop in production. There are no exploration investments in new sources of Bolivian gas, and the consequence is a drop in imports”, he analyzed. In the case of fertilizers, imports of urea from Bolivia also decreased because production fell.

China continues to be the main destination for MS's foreign sales, absorbing 49,32% of exports. Followed by the United States (5,50%) and the Netherlands (4,38%).

Activity Sectors

The Manufacturing industry experienced an increase in its export value (0,32%). Agriculture, in turn, had a 14,39% decline in exported volume, indicating a reduction in agricultural activity. The extractive industry recorded a 17,89% increase in export value, reflecting a positive variation in performance in the sector.

Due to the crop failure, agriculture and sectors linked to the activity are having a weaker performance on the balance in relation to 2023. “We had a reduction in the price of soybeans last year and there is also a retention of the grain today by the producer. . So the flow of foreign trade has not evolved in terms of volume exactly because of the price. Consequently, the producer is stocked, that is, we have a soybean sales level below last year.”

According to him, this contained decline, especially in the second half of the year, should advance his negotiations. Regarding the decline in iron ore exports, he recalls that production is constant but there is a draft restriction on the Paraguay River, which has caused a delay in the volume exported. “The water crisis affected ore exports in MS”, he pointed out.

Counties

Among the municipalities, Três Lagoas leads as the largest exporter, with 23,82% of total exports, followed by Dourados (8,56%), Antônio João (5,14%) and Campo Grande (4,46%).