SAO PAULO _ Brazilian officials say the country had a trade surplus of $1.77 billion in March.
Last month's surplus was 79 percent higher than the $988 million surplus registered in March of 2008, but it was only marginally higher than the $1.76 billion surplus posted in February.
The Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade says in a Wednesday statement that Brazil exported $11.8 billion in goods and imported $10 billion last month.
Last month's figures bring Brazil's first quarter trade surplus to $3 billion _ 9 percent more than the $2.8 billion surplus posted in the first quarter of 2008.
Brazil boasts Latin America's largest economy.
