According to data released by the South African Revenue Service (SARS), in May of the current year the value of South Africa's exports of base metals and articles thereof totaled ZAR 10.49 billion ($836.62 million), increasing by 6.7 percent from April. In the first five months of this year, South Africa's export value of base metals and articles thereof decreased by 6.4 percent year on year to ZAR 51.18 billion ($4.08 billion).
In May this year, the country's imports of base metals and articles thereof amounted to ZAR 4.83 billion ($385.18 million), up 1.9 percent from April, while in the first five months South African imports of base metals and articles thereof increased by 26.7 percent year on year, amounting to ZAR 25.15 billion ($2.01 billion).