CHINA has replaced the United States as Brazil's top trading partner after South American biggest country's Chinese imports increasing 57.7 per cent in the first half of the year.

In the first six months of 2010, Brazil's global import value soared 43.9 per cent year on year to US$81.3 billion.

Brazilian deputy trade secretary Fabio Faria said the import surge was sustained by an "accelerated" in GDP, up nine per cent in the first quarter and predicted to rise another 7.3 per cent full year, reported London's Containerisation International.

Brazil recorded a narrowing trade surplus of US$7.9 billion in the first half of the year, down from US$13.9 billion in the same period of 2009, with exports up by 26.5 per cent to $89.2 billion.