Paraguay's foreign trade saw an improvement at the close of the first quarter of the year, with a US$32 million surplus, according to official data released yesterday by the Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP).
The Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP) announced yesterday that it showed an improvement in both export and import figures compared to the same period in 2024.
Paraguay's foreign trade totaled US$8.14 billion in March, including shipments and imports from various markets around the world, 2.7% higher than the US$7.91 billion achieved in the same period last year.
Regarding the foreign trade balance (exports less imports), as of March 2025, it recorded a surplus of US$32 million.
When broken down by category, total exports reached US$4,087.7 million, 1.3% higher than the figures for March of the previous year. Transactions were made with a total of 111 countries, which are the destinations for our exports.
74.8% of registered exports are destined for Argentina, Brazil, and Chile.
Total imports reached US$4.0557 billion, representing a 4.3% increase, with purchases from 134 countries, which constitute the source of foreign purchases.
As a result of these flows, the foreign trade balance closed with a surplus of US$ 32 million, which is lower than the surplus of US$ 143 million recorded in March 2024, according to the official report presented by the BCP.
DROP IN EXPORTS
When breaking down shipments by segment, it is notable that registered exports accounted for 65.8% of the total, with a value of US$2.69 billion, a 1.9% decrease compared to the cumulative value as of March 2024.
On the other hand, re-exports, which accounted for 22.4% of the total, reached US$1.1586 billion, reflecting a 6% increase, while other exports, with a 6.4% share, showed a year-on-year increase of 22%, reaching US$238 million.
Among the main export products, the shipment of soybeans worth US$ 813 million stands out, which represents a 19% drop compared to the same period last year, according to the report of the
BCP.
In terms of markets, Argentina has become the main destination for soybeans, accounting for 93.0% of the total exported value, followed by Brazil, with a 4.6% share.
MEAT SHIPMENTS GROW
On the other hand, beef exports continue to stand out for their strong performance, totaling US$518.6 million in shipments in the first quarter of the year, representing a 47% increase compared to the amount accumulated through March 2024, while in terms of volume, there was a 27% increase compared to 2024.
