Brazil's central bank bumps up 2024 economic growth projection

BRASILIA, March 28 (Reuters) - Brazil's central bank revised upwards its projection for the country's economic growth this year to 1.9%, up from the 1.7% expected in December, as revealed in its quarterly inflation report released on Thursday.

In the report, the central bank also improved its forecast for the expansion of bank lending in 2024 to 9.4% from a previous 8.8%, but reduced an estimated trade balance surplus to $59 billion from $73 billion before. (Reporting by Marcela Ayres; editing by Gabriel Araujo)