The trade deficit in the industrial sector improved during the first eight months of 2023, reaching a value of TND 2,827.1 million compared with a deficit of 7425.5 MD during the same period in 2022, according to the economic status report published by the Agency for the Promotion of Industry and Innovation (APII).
This improvement is explained by the 13.9% increase in the value of exports from the industrial sector, which reached TND 32,502.9 million during the first eight months of 2023, compared with TND 37,018.5 million during the same period in 2022.
According to the APII data, the exports of the food industry sector (IAA) increased by 23.7% to TND 3,712.2 million.
The same applies to the mechanical and electrical industry and the leather and footwear industry (ICC), whose exports grew 19.1% (to TND 18,748.7 million) and 18.7% (to TND 1,483.5 million) respectively, while the exports of the chemical industry decreased by 12.3% to TND 2,823.8 million.
At the end of August 2023, industrial imports fell by 0.2% to TND 39,845.6 million, compared with TND 39,928.4 million for the same period in 2022.
The APII reported a 12% fall in imports from the chemical industry, a 5.5% fall in imports from the building materials, ceramics and glass industry and a 2.9% fall in imports from the textile and chemical products industry.
On the other hand, imports by the agro-food industry and the leather and footwear industry increased by 8.7% (to TND 2,811.7 million) and 3.6% (to TND 934.7 million), respectively.
