THE dollar The commercial exchange rate closed this Wednesday (22) with a slight decrease of 0.41%, quoted at R$ 5.0500, with a partial devaluation of 1.12% for the week. At its lowest point of the day, the exchange rate fell to R$ 5.0490; at its highest, it rose to R$ 5.0820. In this trading session, the exchange rate followed a similar movement to that seen yesterday (21), favored by the assessment of part of the market that the appreciation of oil continues to bring more benefits than losses to economies that export the commodity, such as Brazil. Despite the increase in geopolitical tensions, investors consider that the rise in oil tends to compensate for the advance of global risk premiums. In the early hours of this Wednesday, local time, the United States carried out new attacks against Iranian targets for the 11th consecutive night. According to the US government, the bombings hit Iranian command centers, air defense systems, missile launchers, and drones. The day before, US President Donald Trump stated that he could attack "very soon" the Pickaxe mountain, near the Natanz nuclear facility, where experts believe part of the underground infrastructure used by Iran for uranium enrichment is located. Domestically, investors reacted to the entry into force of the additional 25% tariff imposed by the US on part of Brazilian exports. The measure was adopted after an investigation conducted by the US government concluded that Brazil maintains practices considered restrictive to bilateral trade, citing, among other points, the Pix payment system and the regulation of digital platforms. In response, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated that the government will seek alternatives to mitigate the impacts of the new tariffs. During a ceremony launching a new phase of the Sovereign Brazil Program, the president defended the adoption of measures to preserve the competitiveness of Brazilian companies. At the same event, the federal government announced R$ 18.5 billion in new financing lines for companies affected by US tariffs.
This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.