The Moroccan trade balance deficit increased slightly last year (2019), amounting to 21.72 billion dollars, compared to 21.41 billion dollars in the previous year (2018).
According to Moroccan exchange office data, last year, Morocco's imports increased by 2 percent, amounting to 43.56 billion dollars, while exports increased by 2.4 percent, to reach 29.22 billion dollars.
The level of Moroccan imports was affected last year by the increase in purchases of processing materials, finished products for consumption, food bill and semi-finished products. The decline in the energy products bill did not reduce the pace of imports in the past year, as it decreased by 7.2 percent, to settle at around $7.94 billion, according to the exchange office.
The lower energy bill is attributed to the decrease in diesel and fuel imports, benefiting from a 3.3 percent decrease in imported quantities and prices by 3.5 percent.
Source (The New Arab Newspaper, Edited)
