SA's trade account deficit narrows

Johannesburg - South Africa’s trade account recorded a R7.5bn deficit in February compared with a R13.5bn shortfall in January, the South African Revenue Service (Sars) said on Friday.

The trade deficit was R0.2bn in the same month in 2011.

Exports rose by 4.2% month-on-month to R56.3bn in February while imports decreased by 5.6% to R63.7bn, Sars data showed.

Economists surveyed by Reuters expected a shortfall of R5.0bn for February, but the data is volatile and thus hard to forecast.