Tunisia – The industrial trade balance deficit decreased by 62.7% in the first nine months of 2023 to 3,137.5 MD, compared with 8,424.9 MD in the same period of 2022, the 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% decrease in imports.
Thus, the exports of the industrial sector amounted to TND 41,570.7 million thanks mainly to the progress of the exports of the food industry (25.6% with TND 4,131 million), as well as the building materials, ceramics and glass industry (6.4% with TND 1,018.5 million), the mechanical and electrical industry (18.3% with TND 21,127.4 million) and the textile and clothing industry (9.2% with 7,259.2 million).
Exports of leather and footwear also rose by 16.5% to TND 1,691 million and those of other manufactured articles by 11.8% to TND 3,243.7 million.
On the other hand, exports of the chemical industry fell 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 clothing (-3.3% to TND 5,422.6 million).
On the other hand, imports increased in the 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 (TND +0.3% to 4,713.7 million).
Source: Zawya
