Tunisia’s trade deficit expanded by 57 per cent in the first quarter of this year from the same period last year, official data showed on Tuesday.
The State Statistics Institute said in Tunis that the wide gap was due to jump in imports.
It said the trade deficit widened to 3.87 billion dinars ($1.67 billion) for January, February and March from 2.46 billion dinars ($1.06 billion) in the same period last year.
The office said imports in the three first months this year soared 20.3 per cent to 11.4 billion dinars ($4.93 billion). Exports rose by 7.4 per cent to 7.5 billion dinars ($3.24 billion).
Tunisia wants to take advantage of the large African market to increase its exports.
It will become this year a member of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) which include 19 African countries.
Tunisia will this month take urgent measures to reduce its imports, according official sources, as part of broader financial reforms to help curb public spending and the fiscal deficit.
(Reuters/NAN)
