As at October 2022, South Africa reported a trade balance of $11.29 billion, a decline of 56% compared with the trade balance in October 2021 of $25.91 billion).

Source: https://mg.co.za/opinion/2023-01-17-south-africa-needs-to-free-up-flow-of-imports-and-exports-to-improve-trade-activity/

As at October 2022, South Africa reported a trade balance of $11.29 billion, a decline of 56% compared with the trade balance in October 2021 of $25.91 billion).

Source: https://mg.co.za/opinion/2023-01-17-south-africa-needs-to-free-up-flow-of-imports-and-exports-to-improve-trade-activity/

In June, energy secretary Flavia Royon said that the energy trade balance will start to be positive this year, in part thanks to the new pipeline and other investments.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/eliasferrerbreda/2023/10/15/argentina-vote-sergio-massas-energy-exports-plan/

The causes of the negative trade balance are the consumer eagerness for imported goods and the lack of growth of U.S. exports.

Source: https://dissidentvoice.org/2023/09/government-debt-is-not-the-problem/

The promise of improving our trade balance went the opposite way from a positive P292 million to a negative P8.9 billion in 2021 and an expected further deterioration of 35 percent for 2022.

Source: https://business.inquirer.net/386957/rcep-promise-or-peril-2