OTTAWA, May 11 (UPI) -- Canada's international trade surplus rose to $627 million in March as both imports and exports increased, Statistics Canada reported from Ottawa Wednesday.
The 3.5 percent gain in exports offset by a 2.8 percent gain in imports raised the country's worldwide trade surplus from $356 million in February, the agency said.
"Imports from the United States rose 3.2 percent, mostly a result of increases in imports of automotive products, while exports grew 1.9 percent, led by higher exports of crude petroleum," StatsCan said. "Consequently, Canada's trade surplus with the United States narrowed to $4.8 billion in March from $5 billion in February."
The majority of exports to countries other than the United States went to the European Union and rose 7.8 percent in March on a monthly basis as imports from the union rose 2.1 percent.
"Broad-based gains in the value of exports were led by energy products and industrial goods and materials," the agency said.
