Chile: Trade Surplus Widens

Chile’s trade surplus widened to $698 million in August as prices for copper, the country’s main export, rose to record highs. The trade surplus was $583 million in July. The economy will grow more than 6 percent this year, according to the central bank estimates, and that growth is driving up demand for imported cars and heavy equipment. August exports increased 20 percent from a year earlier while imports increased 33 percent.