The trade deficit increased by 3.9% at the end of September

The trade deficit increased by 3.9% to 222.63 billion dirhams (billion dirhams) at the end of September 2024, compared to 214.18 billion dirhams the same period a year earlier, according to the Foreign Exchange Office.

This increase covers an increase in imports of goods of 4.8% to 554.14 billion dirhams and an increase in exports of 5.3% to 331.51 billion dirhams, specifies the Foreign Exchange Office in its recent bulletin on monthly indicators of foreign trade, adding that the coverage rate gained 0.3 points to 59.8%.

In detail, the evolution of imports is driven by the increase in finished equipment products by 11.5% to MAD 128.98 billion, semi-finished products by 8.5% to MAD 119.57 billion, finished products of consumption by 6.6% to 127.65 billion dirhams and food products by 1.1% to 67.71 billion dirhams, combined with the drop in particular in raw products (-3.5% to MAD 23.93 billion) and energy products (-5.9% to MAD 85.70 billion).

At the same time, the Foreign Exchange Office indicates that aeronautics exports increased by 20.2% to 19.65 billion dirhams, the largest increase, ahead of phosphates and derivatives (+11.3% to 60.72 billion dirhams). ) and automobiles (+6.9% to MAD 115.35 billion), while those of “textiles and leather” fell by 1% to MAD 35.26 billion.