The South African Revenue Service (SARS) today releases trade statistics for December 2017 recording a trade balance surplus of R15,72-billion.
The year-to-date (01 January to 31 December 2017) trade balance surplus of R80,55-billion is an improvement on the surplus for the comparable period in 2016 of R1,05-billion.
Exports for the year-to-date grew by 7,9% whilst imports for the same period showed an increase of 0,7%.
The R15,72-billion trade balance surplus for December 2017 is attributable to exports of R104,32-billion and imports of R88,6-billion.
Exports decreased from November 2017 to December 2017 by R11,87-billion (10,2%) and imports decreased from November 2017 to December 2017 by R14,54-billion (14,1%).
Exports for the year-to-date (01 January to 31 December 2017) grew by 7,9% from R1 100,32-billion in 2016 to R1 187,45-billion in 2017.
Imports for the year-to-date of R1 106,9-billion are 0,7% more than the imports recorded in January to December 2016 of R1 099,27-billion, leaving a cumulative trade balance surplus of R80,55-billion for 2017.
On a year-on-year basis, the R15,72-billion trade balance surplus for December 2017 is an improvement from the surplus recorded in December 2016 of R12,27-billion.
Exports of R104,32-billion are 11,5% more than the exports recorded in December 2016 of R93,52-billion.
Imports of R88,6-billion are 9% more than the imports recorded in December 2016 of R81,25-billion.
November 2017’s trade balance surplus was revised upwards by R0,03-billion from the previous month’s preliminary surplus of R13,02-billion to a revised surplus of R13,05-billion as a result of ongoing Vouchers of Correction.
These statistics include trade data with Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland (BLNS).