• 2025.10.22 (Wed)
  • All articles
  • LOGIN
  • JOIN
Global Economic Times
APEC2025KOREA가이드북
  • Synthesis
  • World
  • Business
  • Industry
  • ICT
  • Distribution Economy
  • Korean Wave News
  • Opinion
  • Arts&Culture
  • Sports
  • People & Life
  • Lee Yeon-sil Column
  • Ko Yong-chul Column
  • Photo News
  • New Book Guide
  • Cherry Garden Story
MENU
 
Home > Distribution Economy

Paraguay Records $311.7 Million Trade Deficit Through April Amid Export Decline

Graciela Maria Reporter / Updated : 2025-05-15 06:26:14
  • -
  • +
  • Print

Asunción, Paraguay - The Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP) has announced that Paraguay experienced a total trade volume of $10.61 billion through April 2025, marking a 1.7% decrease compared to the same period last year. Notably, exports saw a significant decline of 6.4%, while imports increased by 3.2%, resulting in a trade deficit of $311.7 million. This contrasts sharply with the trade surplus recorded in the same period of the previous year.

Total exports through April 2025 amounted to $5.149 billion, primarily driven down by decreased shipments of key primary goods, including soybeans.

The agricultural and manufacturing sectors presented a mixed performance. While the export of major primary products such as soybeans experienced a notable downturn, sectors like beef and aluminum demonstrated growth.

Primary product exports reached $1.303 billion by April 2025, a 15.0% decrease compared to the same period last year, negatively impacting overall export figures by 6.1 percentage points. The decline in soybean exports was the most significant, although increased exports of wheat, corn, and rice partially offset this.

Conversely, agricultural-based manufacturing (MOA) exports saw a 6.2% increase compared to April 2024, reaching $1.3618 billion and positively contributing 2.1 percentage points to the total export growth. Imports totaled $5.461 billion, bolstered by increased industrial supply imports, while fuel and lubricant imports decreased. Paraguay's main import partners were China, Brazil, and the United States.

The BCP report also highlighted a 4% increase in exports under the Maquila regime, reaching $362.3 million. The Maquila system offers tax benefits to foreign companies that establish factories in Paraguay to import raw materials, process them, and then re-export the finished goods. This is considered a crucial factor in promoting Paraguay's manufacturing exports.

The report emphasized the importance of continuously monitoring geopolitical factors and the volatility of international commodity prices, as these significantly impact Paraguay's trade environment. Recent global uncertainties and fluctuations in key commodity prices could directly affect Paraguay's export competitiveness and trade balance, necessitating careful analysis and preparation.

Argentina emerged as Paraguay's top export destination through April 2025, accounting for 37.2% of total exports with a value of $1.3239 billion. This increase is attributed to the recovery of the Argentine economy and a subsequent rise in demand for Paraguayan products.

Brazil ranked second, receiving 29.4% of Paraguay's total exports, amounting to $1.0468 billion. However, this figure represents a 5.1% decrease compared to the same period last year, likely influenced by fluctuations in the Brazilian economy and changes in demand for specific items.

Chile was the third-largest export market, accounting for 7.5% of total exports at $269 million. Notably, exports to Chile saw a significant decline of 10.8% compared to the previous year, potentially due to shifts in the Chilean market and adjustments in Paraguay's export strategies.

Paraguay's trade deficit through April 2025 raises concerns about the country's economic future. The poor performance of soybean exports, a key agricultural product, could significantly impact the agricultural economy and potentially lead to slower overall economic growth.

However, the growth in agricultural-based manufacturing and Maquila exports offers a positive outlook. This suggests a gradual diversification of Paraguay's export structure and increasing competitiveness in higher value-added manufacturing sectors. The government needs to strengthen policy support to maintain and expand this growth momentum.

Paraguay's future trade balance is expected to be heavily influenced by the global economic situation, particularly the economic trends of its main trading partners, Argentina and Brazil. Furthermore, the volatility of international commodity prices and geopolitical risks will continue to be crucial factors affecting Paraguay's export competitiveness and trade environment.

The Paraguayan government will need to pursue multifaceted strategies, including diversifying export markets, developing high-value-added products, and fostering the Maquila industry, to address the trade deficit and promote economic growth. Strengthening the competitiveness of the agricultural sector through technological development support and expanding export infrastructure also appear to be urgent tasks.

This trade deficit serves as a reminder of the Paraguayan economy's vulnerabilities and underscores the need for proactive responses and efforts from the government and relevant institutions.

[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]

Graciela Maria Reporter
Graciela Maria Reporter

Popular articles

  • Deadly Clan Clashes Erupt in Gaza as Israeli Forces Withdraw

  • Global Echoes of the Harvest Moon: A Look at Family and Ancestral Holidays

  • China's Tsinghua University Tops Global Computer Science Rankings, Signaling a Shift in Tech Dominance

I like it
Share
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Kakaotalk
  • LINE
  • BAND
  • NAVER
  • https://globaleconomictimes.kr/article/1065561925796900 Copy URL copied.
Comments >

Comments 0

Weekly Hot Issue

  • South Korea to Drastically Increase Domestic LNG Shipping Rate to 70%
  • 'Export Boom-Up Korea Week' Kicks Off as Nation Prepares to Host APEC
  • Japan Elects Ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as First Female Prime Minister: The 'Female Abe' Ascends
  • Trump Pressured Zelensky to 'Accept Russia's Demands or Be Destroyed,' Report from FT Reveals
  • Kering Sells Beauty Division to L'Oréal for €4 Billion Amid Gucci Slump 
  • NATO Deputy Secretary General Pledges to Strengthen Substantive Cooperation with South Korea, Including Defense Industry

Most Viewed

1
The Imminent Reality: Donald Trump's Unlikelihood for the Nobel Peace Prize as a Destroyer of International Order
2
Renewable Energy Covers 100% of Global Electricity Demand Growth in H1 2025, Marking a Turning Point in the Fossil Fuel Era
3
McDonald's 'Subtle Racism' Controversy: Korean American Denied Order After 70-Minute Wait
4
Early Winter Chill Grips South Korea as Seoraksan Sees First Snow
5
A Chemical Revolution, the Era of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) Begins: 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
광고문의
임시1
임시3
임시2

Hot Issue

EU States Agree to Complete Phase-Out of Russian Gas by End of 2027

US Ships to be Built in South Korea: Washington Considers Easing Protective Maritime Laws for Alliance Shipbuilding Cooperation

South Korea to Drastically Increase Domestic LNG Shipping Rate to 70%

Japan Elects Ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as First Female Prime Minister: The 'Female Abe' Ascends

Let’s recycle the old blankets in Jeju Island’s closet instead of incinerating them.

Global Economic Times
korocamia@naver.com
CEO : LEE YEON-SIL
Publisher : KO YONG-CHUL
Registration number : Seoul, A55681
Registration Date : 2024-10-24
Youth Protection Manager: KO YONG-CHUL
Singapore Headquarters
5A Woodlands Road #11-34 The Tennery. S'677728
Korean Branch
Phone : +82(0)10 4724 5264
#304, 6 Nonhyeon-ro 111-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Copyright © Global Economic Times All Rights Reserved
  • 에이펙2025
  • APEC2025가이드북TV
  • 세종시
Search
Category
  • All articles
  • Synthesis
  • World
  • Business
  • Industry
  • ICT
  • Distribution Economy
  • Korean Wave News
  • Opinion
  • Arts&Culture
  • Sports
  • People & Life
  • Lee Yeon-sil Column
  • Ko Yong-chul Column
  • Photo News
  • New Book Guide
  • Cherry Garden Story
  • Multicultural News
  • Jobs & Workers
  • APEC 2025 KOREA GUIDE