Rio de Janeiro, May 3 (IANS/EFE) Brazil amassed a trade surplus of $5.03 billion in the first four months of the year, up 132 percent from the same period in 2010, the government announced Monday.

Last month the surplus totalled $1.86 billion, 52.8 higher than in April 2010 and up 32.6 percent over March, the Development, Industry and Trade Ministry said in a communique.

Exports in April totalled $20.17 billion, 40.1 percent greater than during the same month last year, while imports rose by 38.9 percent to $18.31 billion.

So far this year, exports from Latin America’s largest economy have amounted to $71.4 billion, an increase of 31.3 percent, and imports have grown by 27.1 percent to $66.67 billion.