ZCZC
BCN-17
CANADA-TRADE-SURPLUS
Canada records first trade surplus since December 2016
OTTAWA, Oct. 6, 2018 (BSS/Xinhua) – Canada reported a surplus of 526
million Canadian dollars (406.5 million U.S. dollars) in August, the first
since December 2016, Statistics Canada announced Friday.
Statistics Canada attributed the surplus to unusual timed shutdowns of
auto plants in the country, which helped cut imports by a greater rate than
exports.
The country’s exports in August fell 1.1 percent, the biggest decline
since January, partly due to lower shipments of motor vehicles, and imports
dropped 2.5 percent.
Canadian imports from the United States decreased by 1.3 percent to 32.4
billion Canadian dollars (25 billion U.S. dollars), mostly due to less
imports of aircraft.
Its exports to the United States declined by 1.2 percent to 37.7 billion
Canadian dollars (29.1 billion U.S. dollars), mainly due to less exports of
passenger cars and light trucks.
As a result, Canada’s trade surplus with the United States in August was
essentially unchanged at 5.3 billion Canadian dollars (4.1 billion U.S.
dollars).
BSS/XINHUA/HR/1202