According to data released by the South African Revenue Service (SARS), in August this year the value of South Africa's exports of base metals and articles thereof totaled ZAR 13.73 billion ($970 million), up 4.8 percent from July. In the January-August period of this year, South Africa's export value of base metals and articles thereof increased by 6.9 percent year on year to ZAR 98.51 billion ($6.96 billion).
In August of the current year, the country's imports of base metals and articles thereof amounted to ZAR 5.62 billion ($397 million), increasing by 5.5 percent from the previous month, while in the first eight months of this year South African imports of base metals and articles thereof fell by 0.7 percent year on year, amounting to ZAR 39.28 billion ($2.77 billion).