The trade deficit at current prices was 14848.1 million dinars (MD) during the first nine months of 2019 compared to 14183.2 MDs in the same period of the past year, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS). The coverage rate increased by 1.5 percentage points from the first nine months of 2018 to 69% against 67.5%. Excluding energy, the trade balance deficit is 9201.2 MD. The deficit in the energy balance stands at 5646.9 MD (38% of the total deficit) against 4683.7 MD in the same period of 2018.
Tunisia has seen its energy product imports increase by 24.3% due to the increase in purchases of natural gas (2934.3 MD against 1768.6 MD). According to the note on foreign trade of NIS at current prices (September 2019), general exports increased by 12% compared to + 19.8% in the same period of 2018. They reached 33008.4 MD level against 29481.7 MD during the first nine months of last year. Similarly, imports increased by 9.6% compared to + 21% during the same period of 2018. Imports therefore reached 47856.5 MD against 43664.8 MD.
(ITALPRESS/MNA).
