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The Brazilian real had one of the best weeks in more than 2 months as demand for commodities and emergent markets assets rose globally, maintaining the real as the best performing currency in 2009 among the 16 main traded ones in foreign-exchange markets.

The real extended its gains this week flirting with the $1.70 level as risk appetite was strong during most of the previous 5 days, even if rising speculations that the national central bank will impose further measures to control the currency’s rally, following the implementation of a new tax for foreign capital invested in Brazilian stocks created last month.

USD/BRL closed the week 1.7193 from 1.7650 in the beginning of the week.