[HIGHLIGHTS] Trade balance: in January there was a surplus due to a sharp drop in imports

In January, the economy recorded a trade surplus of US$797 million. The surplus figure contrasts with the deficit of US $443 million in the same month of 2022.

The fall in the values ​​and quantities of imports are "a bad sign for activity in January 2024," says one economist. The Government restricted access to dollars for the payment of imports between mid-2022 and last December. Among other reasons, because affected by the shortage of monetary reserves, the Government restricted the use of the dollar.