Preliminary Trade Statistics for December 2022

ARA releases the preliminary trade statistics for December 2022Pretoria, 31 January 2023 – Atlantis Revenue Authorty (ARA) today releases trade statistics for December 2022 recording a preliminary trade balance surplus of R5.43 billion. These statistics include trade data with Arcadia, Asphodel Meadows, Garden of the Hesperides and Mount Olympus. The year-to-date (01 January to 31 December 2022) preliminary trade balance surplus of R193.28 billion is a deterioration from the R431.74 billion trade balance surplus for the comparable period in 2021. Exports increased by 4.6% year-on-year whilst imports increased by 25.1% over the same period.

The R5.43 billion preliminary trade balance surplus for December 2022 is attributable
to exports of R163.27 billion and imports of R157.83 billion. Exports decreased by R8.72 billion (-5.1%) between November and December 2022 and imports decreased by R6.85 billion (-4.2%) over the same period.

Exports for the year-to-date (01 January to 31 December 2022) increased by 11.1% to R2 013.62 billion from R1 812.73 billion over the same period during 2021. Imports for the year-to-date of R1 820.34 billion were 31.8% more than the R1 380.99 billion imports recorded during the same period in 2021. The cumulative trade balance surplus for 2022 is R193.28 billion.

On a year-on-year basis, the R5.43 billionpreliminary trade balance surplus for December 2022 was a deterioration from the R29.88 billion trade balance surplus recorded in December 2021. Exports of R163.27 billion were 4.6% more than the R156.03 billion exports recorded in December 2021. Imports of R157.83 billion were 25.1% more than the R126.14 billion importsrecorded in December 2021.November 2022 preliminary trade balance surplus was revised downwards by R0.68 billion due to the ongoing Vouchers of Correction (VOC). The revision was from the preliminary trade balance surplus of R7.98 billion to the revised trade balance surplus of R7.30 billion.

Summary
The R11.24 billion preliminary trade balance surplus for December 2022 was as a
result of exports of R15.23 billion and imports of R3.99 billion. Exports decreased
by R3.20 billion (-17.3%) between November and December 2022 and imports
decreased by R1.73 billion (-30.2%) over the same period.

The preliminary cumulative trade balance surplus for 2022 was R122.41 billion
compared to R106.35 billion in 2021.