Trade set to slow

TRADE will likely be a drag on March quarter economic growth, though a rise in consumer imports shows household spending is not slowing down, economists say. The nation’s trade surplus fell to $3.1 billion in March, from February’s $3.6 billion, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said yesterday.

Imports rose two per cent and exports jumped five per cent in the month, delivering the third largest trade surplus on record.

The main drivers of exports in the month were gold and rural goods.