Peru: Merchandise exports fall at sharper pace in February
Peru’s trade balance recorded a USD 392 million surplus in February, larger than January’s USD 287 million surplus and the USD 317 million surplus recorded in the same month last year.
Merchandise exports fell 4.5% year-on-year in February (January: -1.6% year-on-year), weighed down by diving foreign sales of fishing, agricultural and oil and natural gas products, only partially offset by rising exports of textiles and mining products. Meanwhile, merchandise imports slumped 7.3% annually in February, contrasting January’s 3.6% growth, on the back of lower purchases of capital and intermediate goods.
In the 12 months leading up to February, the trade surplus was USD 6.5 billion, up from January’s USD 6.4 billion.