La paralysis of world trade The pandemic was reflected in the month of March. Trade fell 17,6% compared to the same period last year and reached a value of US$ 7.495 billion, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Census (Indec) on Wednesday (22.04.2020/XNUMX/XNUMX).
Exports were US$ 4.320 billion, while imports reached US$ 3.175 billion. In this context, the The country's trade balance registered a Trade surplus of US$ 1.145 billion, US$ 36 million less than the previous year.
Along the same lines, the March exports fell by 15,9% (- US$ 817 million) compared to the same month in 2019, due to a 14,4% drop in quantities and a 1,7% drop in prices.
In seasonally adjusted terms, exports fell by 11,6% compared to March of the previous year and by 0,9% compared to February.
Exports of All sectors fell year-on-year, with the hardest hit being fuel and energy (-35,2%), industrial manufactures (-20,5%), agricultural manufactures (-18,2%) and primary products (-1,7%).
The decline in exports was mainly reflected in the United States (-34,8%), Germany (-34,6%), Paraguay (-22,8%), China (-17,4%) and Brazil (-16%). In the case of Chile, exports increased by 5% and with the Netherlands by 63,4%.
Regarding the Imports fell by 19,7% in March Compared to the same month last year, US$ 781 million less. Volumes fell by 17% and prices by 3,2%.
In seasonally adjusted terms, imports fell 8,4% compared to March 2019 and 2% compared to February 2020.
As with exports, all imports fell, sespecially those of passenger motor vehicles (-31,8%), fuels and lubricants (-27,6%), parts and accessories for capital goods (-27,3%), capital goods (-24,8%), intermediate goods (-12,8%) and consumer goods (-10,7%).
The decrease in imports was mainly from the Netherlands (-69%), the United States (-37,6%), Chile (-29,8%), China (-29,1%), Germany (-22,2%) and Brazil (-13,6%). There was only an increase in imports from Paraguay (17,6%) and Vietnam (111,6%).
First trimester
As a whole, in the In the first quarter of the year, exports were US$13.200 billion and imports were US$9.930 billion, resulting in a Trade surplus of US$ 3.297 billion.
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