CANADA TRADE RISE SEEN AS START OF RECOVERY
  Canada's trade picture has brightened
  considerably, underscoring economists' predictions the sector
  would post a long awaited recovery this year.
      The federal government reported today that the monthly
  surplus soared to 1.25 billion Canadian dlrs in February,
  double January's 623 mln dlrs surplus and sharply higher than
  February 1986's 189 mln dlr tally.
      "Hopefully it's the beginning of a trend," said Richardson
  Greenshields of Canada Ltd economist Susan Clark in Toronto.
      Economists generally don't expect such large gains over the
  next months, but are looking for an upward trend throughout the
  year.
      "We thought the trade balance would improve ... over the
  year, and it certainly looks as if this morning's figure is
  indicative of that," commented economist James Donegan at the
  Toronto securities firm of Midland Doherty Ltd.
      Statistics Canada reported the surplus was driven by a 23
  pct gain in automobile product exports to a record 3.2 billion
  dls in the month.
      "Recovery in the automotive sector helped push the value of
  exports up by 5.9 pct in February," the agency said in its
  monthly report.
      Total exports expanded to 10.44 billion dlrs from 9.85
  billion dlrs in February, while imports slipped to 9.19 billion
  dlrs from 9.23 billion dlrs.
      Economists have predicted the 1987 trade surplus would end
  up three to five billion dlrs higher than last year's dismal
  10.1 billion dlr total. In 1985 the surplus was 17.48 billion
  dlrs.
      Money market analysts said the positive trade news touched
  off a modest rally in the Canadian dollar, which rose to 76.85
  U.S. cts on North American markets early this morning after
  closing at 76.58 cts Wednesday.
      The currency was hovering around 76.78 cts in early
  afternoon trading.
      Economists have been banking on an improved trade
  performance this year to stimulate an otherwise sluggish
  Canadian economy.
      Money market analysts said the positive trade news touched
  off a modest rally in the Canadian dollar, which rose to 76.85
  U.S. cts on North American markets early this morning after
  closing at 76.58 cts Wednesday.
      The currency was hovering around 76.78 cts in early
  afternoon trading.
      Economists have been banking on an improved trade
  performance this year to stimulate an otherwise sluggish
  Canadian economy.
      They say the country's consumers, who have been spending at
  a torrid pace in recent years, will sharply curtail outlays
  this year and this should help curtail the flow of imports into
  the country.
      Meanwhile, demand for Canadian exports in the United
  States, by far the country's largest market, is expected to be
  strong as a result of a projected rise in American consumer
  spending and the relatively low value of the Canadian currency.
      "We maintain what's going to drive Canada's export
  performance is income growth in the U.S.," said Midland's
  Donegan.
      But at the Bank of Nova Scotia, deputy chief economist
  Warren Jestin was less optimistic about the U.S. outlook and
  said it could be a mistake to read too much into February's
  trade upturn.
      Jestin said, "Given the fact the U.S. economy is showing
  signs of weakening--particularly car sales--it would indicate
  that part of the strength (in Canada's trade figures) is
  probably transitory."
  

