At the same time that the number of Brazilian tourists fell, Nasser Hassan, a shoe store merchant in Foz do Iguaçu (PR), estimates that the movement of Paraguayan consumers in his establishment has increased by about 50%, for retail and wholesale, compared to last year.
The devaluation of the real, the uncertain recovery of the economy, and the blow to the tourism sector caused by the pandemic of the novel coronavirus have helped to change the behavior of consumers at the border with Paraguay. Neighbors are now taking advantage of the exchange rate.
Merchant wholesalers in the region are also celebrating greater demand – especially for non-perishable food, sausages, eggs and dairy products— from the Brazilian side of the border, despite food inflation having been heavy during the pandemic.
Since the beginning of the year, the Paraguayan currency, the Guarani, has appreciated against the real. At the end of 2020, it was necessary to have 1,327 guaranis…