SURPLUS FOR 2018
Trade balance could remain in positive territory
SA had a trade surplus of R9.47bn in March compared with R11.81bn in the matching period in 2018
SA’s trade balance is set to stay in surplus for the rest of the year, helping to reverse the shortfall since the end of 2017. Exports will get a boost from favourable global economic growth, helping counter the effect of higher imports due to stronger domestic demand, said Nedbank economist Dennis Dykes. “We still anticipate a trade surplus for 2018 as a whole, albeit smaller than 2017’s,” he said. SA had a trade surplus of R9.47bn in March compared with R11.81bn in the matching period in 2018, according to South African Revenue Service data. Exports of metals and vegetables climbed while imports of mineral products declined. A surplus occurs when the cost of a country’s sales to other nations exceeds the value of what it buys from them. Trends “evident in this release will likely continue and it should over the coming months boost the trade account”, said NKC economist Gerrit van Rooyen. The strong trade performance in 2017 provided underlying support for the rand while helping to...
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