Andina

FocusEconomics: Peru's trade surplus widens in March 2018

Exports. Photo: ANDINA/ Archive.

Exports. Photo: ANDINA/ Archive.

08:00 | Lima, May. 23.

Peru's trade balance posted a US$591 million surplus in March 2018, the latest FocusEconomics' LatinFocus Consensus Forecast report affirmed.

This figure is considerably higher compared to the US$113 million-surplus recorded in the same month in 2017.

According to the report, Peru's total exports saw a strong year-on-year growth of 24.6% last March, from a "meagre 1.6% increase" in February.

March's expansion was mainly underpinned by soaring foreign sales of copper, gold, zinc, crude oil, non-metallic minerals, and iron-steel products.

On the other hand, fishing shipments "continued to decline, although at a much softer pace than in February," the report said.

Meanwhile, Inca imports grew 10.5% annually in the analyzed month, slightly above February's rate (+9.5%).

Within this context, FocusEconomics' analysts projected Peruvian exports will expand 7.8% and 5.9% in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Similarly, they forecast the Inca country will post US$7 billion trade surplus, each in 2018 and 2019.

(END) NDP/JAA/MVB


Published: 5/23/2018