The commerce sector fell 1.5% from March to April, mainly impacted by the drop in fuel sales. The result interrupts a three-month sequence of increases and represents the worst result since June 2022 (-2.8%). Compared to April 2025, trade rose 1%. The quarterly moving average, which indicates the behavior trend, had zero variation. Over the last 12 months, the commerce sector has expanded by 1.5%. Related news: Demand for workers keeps the market resilient, assesses IBGE. Industry grew 0.7% in April, the fourth consecutive month of growth. IBGE: services sector drops 1.2% in March. The data is part of the Monthly Trade Survey, released this Tuesday (16) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The announced results leave the sector 1.5% below the highest level ever achieved, which dates back to March 2026. Influences Of the eight groups of activities surveyed by IBGE, six showed a decline in sales from March to April, with a negative emphasis on the lubricant trade. April was the second month influenced by the conflict in the Middle East, which forced fuel prices to rise across the world. Check the performance of activities: Fuels and lubricants: -6.2% Other articles for personal and domestic use: -4.6% Office, IT and communication equipment and supplies: -4.5% Furniture and household appliances: -0.8% Fabrics, clothing and footwear: -0.1% Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles: -0.1% Hyper, supermarkets, food products, drinks and tobacco: 1.3% Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery: 1.1% The hypermarket and supermarket sector is the one with the greatest weight in the entire survey, representing 56.6% of commerce in the country. Wholesale sales In expanded retail trade, which includes wholesale activities – vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces; building material; and food products, beverages and tobacco – the indicator fell 0.7% from March to April and marks an increase of 1.8% in the 12-month period. Economy as a whole The Monthly Trade Survey is the third of three short-term surveys released monthly by IBGE. In recent days, the institute showed that the industry grew 0.7%, being the fourth consecutive month of increase in the comparison between immediately subsequent months and the services sector grew 1.2% from March to April. The result represented the first increase in a six-month period.