* Brazil’s central bank (BCB) has released the figures for the country’s balance of payments for September, showing a current account deficit of US$1.4bn. This marks a monthly rise from the US$778m deficit registered in August, but a decrease from the US$6.9bn from September last year. The accumulated current account deficit in the 12 months until September 2023 was US$39.8bn (1.92% of GDP). The trade balance of goods registered a surplus of US$7.2bn this September, up from the US$2.1bn surplus registered last September. Foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil came to US$3.8bn in September this year, marking a decrease from the US$4.3bn in August and from the US$9.6bn in September 2022.