Brazil's trade surplus grows

Brazil's trade volumes hit new records last month, helping to push this year's trade surplus to 34.38 billion dollars, nearly 10 percent higher than for the same 10-month period last year, official figures showed Thursday. October exports earned 15.77 billion dollars - the biggest amount for the year so far and 20 percent more than for the same month in 2006.
Imports for October also soared, but trailed exports by 3.44 billion dollars. For the year to date, exports have totalled 132.37 billion dollars, 16.5 percent higher than for the first 10 months of 2006, and imports stand at 97.99 billion dollars, 29.8 percent higher. Brazil last year recorded a trade surplus of 46 billion dollars.