This was the best result for the month since the series started being recorded, in 2006, reports Brazil-Arab News Agency. With imports of US$ 23 million, the trade balance surplus for the cooperative sector was US$ 329.9 million.

According to a study by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Brazilian cooperatives currently export to 93 countries, 11 more than in January 2011. Agribusiness products were those most sold, with coffee representing 20.3 per cent of the total (US$ 71.7 million) and soy chaff, 17 per cent (US$ 60.1 million). Then came sector industrialized products: refined sugar, chicken parts and giblets and ethanol.

The main destinations for cooperative exports were the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. The countries that presented the greatest growth as against last year were Mexico, Yemen and Colombia.

Cooperatives from Paraná were the ones that exported most in January, US$ 116.6 million (33 per cent of the total). Minas Gerais came in the second position, with US$ 82.4 million, followed by São Paulo, with US$ 63.6 million, Santa Catarina, with US$ 29.8 million and Rio Grande do Sul, with US$ 26.5 million.