Chile’s Trade Surplus of $394 Million Misses Estimates

Chile posted a trade surplus of $394 million in December, less than analysts expected, following a drop in exports from a year earlier, the central bank said.

Exports fell 17 percent to $6.3 billion, while imports surged 14 percent to $5.9 billion, the bank said today on its website. The median estimate of six analysts surveyed by Bloomberg was for a surplus of $958 million. In the full year, the world’s top copper producer posted a trade surplus of $10.6 billion, down from $15.9 billion in 2010.