Exports of the industrial sector rose from 12,009.4 MD during the first five months of 2017 to 15,230.1 MD in the same period of 2018, posting an increase of 26.8 %, according to the business letter of the Agency for the Promotion of Industry and Innovation (APII).
The industrial sector imported for 18,870.4 MD during the first five months of 2018 against 16,030.9 MD during the same period 2017, up 17.7%.
Thus the commercial balance of the industrial sector stands at -3640.3 MD against -4021.5 MD during the same period of 2017.
The increase in exports is mainly due to the agri-food sector whose exports reached 1909.8 MD, against 899.6 MD during the first five months of 2017, i.e. an increase of 112.3%. Exports of the ceramics and glass building materials sector also increased from 201.2 MD to 273.6 MD during the first five months of 2018 (+ 36%).
Similarly, exports of the mechanical and electrical industries sector grew by 19.5% from 6,203.7 MD to 7,413.9 MD during the first five months of 2018.
This is the same for the sector of textile and clothing industries with exports in the order of 3,052.7 MD against 2,496.4 MD during the first five months of 2017, up 22.3%.
The same goes for the leather and footwear industries, whose exports increased by 26.9% to 643.7 MD vs. 507.3 MD in the first five months of 2017.
Similarly, exports of the various industries sector rose 30.5% with 1123.6 MD against 882.3 MD during the first five months of 2017.
Industrial imports increased for all sectors. These increases range from 1.4% for the agri-food industry to 27% for the miscellaneous industry sector.
