Foreign direct investment (FDI), which is directed to the productive sector of the economy, reached US$ 8.421 billion in July according to figures released today (August 23) by the Central Bank of Brazil (BC).

The result exceeded the Central Bank´s projection of US$ 7 billion for the month and is the highest since December 2010, when US$ 15.37 billion were invested in Brazil. The result is also the highest recorded for the month of July since Central Bank records began in 1995. In July 2011 FDI stood at US$ 5.98 billion.

From January to July FDI totaled US$ 38.14 billion compared to US$ 38.48 billion in the same period last year. The Central Bank projection for the year is for a total of US$ 50 billion to be invested in Brazil. Last year FDI reached US$ 66.7 billion.

FDI was more than sufficient to cover the current account deficit - the negative balance of purchases and sales of goods and services between Brazil and the rest of the world, which reached US$ 3.77 billion in July and totals US$ 29.11 billion in the seven months of the year to date.

25 August 2012