Peru reached in the second quarter a trade surplus of 9.547 billion dollars (8.239 billion euros), which implies multiplying by more than three, 206.2%, the balance obtained in the same period of the previous year, according to the figures released by the Central Reserve Bank of Peru (BCRP).
The issuing body attributed this result to the strong advance, of 35.2%, in the value of exports, driven by the increase in the prices of mining products and hydrocarbons, along with an increase in shipments of gold and copper abroad.
This export boost was, in part, offset by a 29% increase in imports, resulting from both higher domestic demand and the rising costs of inputs due to the war in Iran.
Despite this surge in foreign purchases, the BCRP highlighted that Peru has already chained 24 consecutive quarters with a positive balance in its trade balance. If the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic were excluded, the series would rise to 39 quarters, that is, more than nine years of uninterrupted surpluses.
In the calculation of the last four quarters, the Peruvian trade surplus stood at 44.882 billion dollars (38.734 billion euros), which represents an increase of 62.8% compared to the same previous period.