* Brazil's trade surplus $2.44 billion in August
* Surplus below forecast, slips from year-ago period (Recasts, adds exports and imports)
SAO PAULO, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Brazil's trade surplus in August slipped from a year ago as imports grew faster than exports.
Brazil posted a trade surplus
The country had been expected to report a trade surplus of $3 billion last month, according to the median forecast of 13 economists surveyed by Reuters. Estimates ranged from $2.5 billion to $3.3 billion.
The surplus rose from the previous month, as exports climbed. The July trade surplus was $1.36 billion.
Brazil rebounded from the global financial crisis faster than many more developed economies. That has pushed up imports, at the same time that sluggish growth abroad has weighed on Brazilian exports.
Exports totaled $19.236 billion in August against $17.673 billion in July and $13.841 billion in the year-ago period.
But imports rose faster from the year-ago period, to $16.796 billion last month from $10.787 billion in August 2009. Imports in July totaled $16.316 billion.
In May, Brazil's government announced long-awaited measures to boost exports, including creating a lender, EXIM Brasil, to help in trade financing. (Reporting by Elzio Barreto; Writing by Luciana Lopez; Editing by James Dalgleish)