MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Latinamerica trade surplus with US grows 14,7%

Latinamerica and the Caribbean countries trade surplus with United States increased 14,7% in March reaching 8,36 billion US dollars, reported Wednesday the US Commerce Department.

During the first quarter the surplus totalled 22,48 billion US dollars compared to 17,19 billion in the same period of 2004.

Mexico's surplus increased from 3,67 billion US dollars in February to 4,26 billion in March, totalling in the first quarter 10,8 billion compared to 10,4 billion in 2004.

Argentina's surplus on the other hand dropped from 43 million US dollars in February to 4 million in March, accumulating 162 million US dollars in the first quarter of 2005 compared to a virtual equilibrium in the same period a year ago.

Brazil kept increasing its trade surplus with the US from 640 million US dollars in February to 749 million in March totalling 2,3 billion in the first quarter, almost six times the 2004 first quarter's 476 million US dollars.

Venezuela one of the US main oil suppliers kept a burgeoning surplus which expanded from 1,8 billion US dollars in February to 2,4 billion last March. First quarter surplus in 2005 was 6 billion compared to 4,6 billion in 2004.

However Chile has seen its surplus drop from 183 million US dollars in February to 78 million in March totalling 613 million in the first quarter compared to 405 million US dollars in the same period a year ago.

Colombia's surplus surged from 190 million in February to 229 million US dollars last March, with the first quarter reaching 634 million compared to 519 million last year.