Mauritius July Trade Deficit Narrows on Increased Exports

Mauritius’s trade deficit narrowed 6.5 percent in July compared with a year earlier as the value of exports increased, the Central Statistics Office said.

The gap declined to 4.96 billion rupees ($173.1 million) from 5.31 billion rupees in 2010, the Port Louis-based data agency said in a statement on its website today. The deficit widened from 4.776 billion rupees in June.

Imports bills rose 1.4 percent to 11.18 billion rupees, it said. Export revenue jumped 8.7 percent to 6.22 billion rupees.

Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island nation with a population of 1.3 million, is a net importer of food and fuels. India and China are the country’s main suppliers, the data agency said, whilst the U.K, France and the U.S. are its major exports destinations.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kamlesh Bhuckory in Port Louis via Johannesburg at 1933 or gbell16@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Antony Sguazzin in Johannesburg at asguazzin@bloomberg.net