South Africa January Trade Gap Swells to Biggest Since 1990
- Imports surged 22% from December, boosted by equipment orders
- Exports declined 23%, with 47% plunge in vehicles, transport
City Deep inland port in Johannesburg
Photographer: Karel Prinsloo/Bloomberg
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South Africa’s trade deficit swelled to the biggest since at least 1990 in January as imports surged 22 percent and vehicle exports declined.
The 27.7 billion-rand ($2.4 billion) gap compares with December’s revised 15.3 billion-rand positive balance, the Pretoria-based South African Revenue Service said in an emailed statement Wednesday. The median estimate of four economists surveyed by Bloomberg was for a 1.7 billion-rand deficit. The gap was 11.2 billion rand a year earlier.