Trade surplus drops 72% during first half of April

SANTIAGO.- Chile has reported a trade surplus of US$ 470.3 million dollars for the first half of April, indicating a drop of 72% when compared to the same period last year. The negative figure can be attributed to a worldwide slowdown in trade as a result of the global economic crisis.

The Central Bank announced today that between the 1st and 15th of April, Chilean exports totalled US$ 2.0503 billion dollars, while imports reached US$ 1.58 billion.

Chile is the world's largest exporter of copper which, as a result of the financial crisis, has seen prices plummet since the middle of 2008 after reaching historic highs.

With the figure reported for the first half of April, trade has currently accumulated a positive balance of US$ 2.4325 billion dollars during the first three and a half months of this year.

Between January and the beginning of April, Chile's exports reached US$ 13.0825 billion dollars, which is 44% less than the amount reported at the same time last year.

Meanwhile, imports totalled US$ 10.650 billion dollars, which is much lower than the US$ 15.389 billion accumulated during the same time lapse of 2008.