Exports from Switzerland rose by a real 5.1 percent in March to 17.35 billion Swiss francs, the Federal Customs Office said on Thursday. Overall Switzerland ran a merchandise trade surplus of 2.05 billion Swiss francs in March. KEY FIGURES (millions of Swiss francs) MAR 2014 FEB 2014 MAR 2013 Imports 15,299 14,467 14,770 Exports 17,350 16,761 16,663 Balance 2,050 2,295 1,893 The figures exclude precious metals and stones, works of art and antiques. For the full statement Reuters 3000 Xtra users can click on: [url]www.ezv.admin.ch/aktuell/medien/index.html?lang=de[/url] BACKGROUND For a story on Swiss economy click ... (full story)