Brazil raises $1.025 bln through bond issue

BRASILIA, Jan. 7 (Chinese media) -- Brazil's government

raised a total of 1.025 billion U.S. dollars through a bond issue with a

maturity date of January 2019, the National Treasury said on Wednesday.

Most of the bonds were traded in Europe and the United States while the rest was sold in the Asian market, the

Finance Ministry said on Tuesday.

The bonds carry an annual interest rate of 6.12

percent. It was Brazil's first batch of bonds denominated in dollars to be sold

this year. The U.S. banks Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch handled the sale.

Revenue from the bonds will be used to increase

Brazil's foreign exchange reserves.

The last issuance of bonds by the Treasury Department

was on May 7, 2008.

Colombia has also announced it plans to issue U.S.

dollar-denominated bonds in the international market with a maturity date of

March 2019.