Swiss Trade Surplus Rises In February

(RTTNews) - Switzerland's foreign trade surplus increased in February from a month earlier as imports fell faster than exports, data from the Federal Customs Administration showed on Thursday.

The trade surplus rose to CHF 4.4 billion in February from CHF 3.5 billion in January.

In real terms, exports posted a monthly fall of 0.3 percent, while imports declined at a comparatively faster pace of 5.1 percent.

Exports of chemical and pharmaceutical products grew 1.5 percent from January, while those of metals and metal products plunged by 6.8 percent. Data showed that imports of chemical and pharmaceutical products showed a sharp decline of 17.6 percent.

Switzerland's watch exports climbed markedly by 9.2 percent annually in February, the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry said. The strong upturn was driven by wristwatches.