The industrial trade deficit fell by 62.7% to MD 3,137.5 in the first nine months of 2023, compared with MD 8,424.9 in the same period of 2022, the Agency for the Promotion of Industry and Innovation (APII) reported in its economic outlook for September 2023, published on Tuesday.
This reduction in the deficit is the result of a 12.7% increase in industrial exports, compared with a 1.3% fall in imports.
Thus, exports from the industrial sector amounted to TND 41,570.7 million, thanks mainly to the progress of exports from the food industry (25.6% at TND 4,131 million), the building materials, ceramics and glass industry (TND 6.4% at 1,018.5 million), the mechanical and electrical industry (18.3% at TND 21,127.4 million) and the textile and clothing industry (9.2% at TND 7,259.2 million).
Exports of leather and footwear also increased by 16.5% to TND 1,691 million and those of other manufactured goods by 11.8% to TND 3,243.7 million.
On the other hand, chemical industry exports decreased by 18% to TND 3,099.8 million
As for imports, the industrial sector imported goods worth TND 44,708.2 million in the first nine months of 2023, 1.3% less than in the same period of 2022. This decrease mainly concerned the building materials, ceramics and glass industries (-5.5% to TND 677.4 million), chemicals (-13% to TND 6,593.3 million) and textiles and garments (-3.3% to TND 5,422.6 million).
On the other hand, imports increased in agro-food (+8.3% to TND 3,238.9 million), mechanical and electrical (+1.4% to TND 23,019.9 million), leather and footwear (+2.8% to TND 1,042.4 million) and miscellaneous industries (+0.3% to TND 4,713.7 million).
