Auto parts begin 2023 with a smaller deficit

By Alzira Rodrigues | 2/28/23 | Translated by Jorge Meditsch

With growing exports and imports, the autoparts industry had a US$ 967.8 million deficit in the first month of the year, 4% less than in January 2022.

This number can signal a positive trend for the sector, as, in 2022, the comparison with the previous year showed a 7.5% growth over 2021, with the sector’s deficit reaching US$ 11.3 billion in 12 months.

According to the report released on the Sindipeças’s website this Tuesday, 28/2, exports began 2023 following the deceleration trend seen since last November, but the month’s amount, US$ 581.9 million, is 24.1% over January 2022 (US$ 469 million).

Three countries represented more than half of the Brazilian sector’s sales abroad. Argentina, with a 33.2% share, is trailed by the United States (16.9%) and Mexico (11.6%).

Imports amounted to US$ 1.5 billion in January, a slight gain over December when external purchases reached US$ 1.4 billion. Year-to-year, there was a 4.9% increase. “As usual, China, Germany, the United States and Mexico kept dominating the sector’s imports”, informed Sindipeças.

Last year, the autoparts exports amounted to US$ 8.3 billion, 26.5% more than in 2021. Imports also grew, but to a lower index, 14.8%. In 2022, more than US$ 19.6 billion were purchased abroad.