Provisional data for international trade show that the visible trade gap in October stood at €166.1 million, up by €57.6 million when compared to the corresponding month in 2009. There were increases in imports and exports of €64.8 million and €7.3 million respectively. The increase in imports was mainly due to capital goods, fuels and lubricants, and industrial supplies, while a decrease was registered in consumer goods. Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials accounted for the main increase in exports when compared to the corresponding month last year. Other increases were registered in semi-manufactured goods, beverages and tobacco, crude materials, and miscellaneous transactions and commodities. Decreases were registered in miscellaneous manufactured articles, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, and food.

In the first ten months this year, the visible trade gap narrowed by €44.0 million to €1,168.9 million. This was due to an increase in imports and exports of €367.9 million and €412.0 million respectively, when compared to the corresponding period in 2009. The increase in imports was due to industrial supplies, fuels and lubricants, and capital goods. During this period the rise in exports was primarily due to machinery and transport equipment. Other increases were noted in mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials, chemicals, food, semi-manufactured goods, miscellaneous transactions and commodities, beverages and tobacco, crude materials, and miscellaneous manufactured articles.

During the first ten months the bulk of Malta’s trade flows and consequent trade deficit continued to be directed towards the European Union. Drops were registered in imports from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France and Spain, while increases were recorded from Italy, Germany and Belgium. Exports to the euro area show an increase, mainly to Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands, with other significant increases being recorded for the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore and China.

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