Malta registered a trade deficit of €253.3 million in September, compared to €59.1 million in the same month last year, according to preliminary figures published by the National Statistics Office.

Imports increased by €121 million, while exports decreased by €73.2 million.

The increase in the value of imports was primarily due to mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials (+€103.3 million). Other increases were recorded for machinery and transport equipment, food, semi-manufactured goods, and miscellaneous transactions and commodities.

Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials accounted for the main decline in the value of exports (-€33.3 million). Other decreases were registered for machinery and transport equipment, miscellaneous manufactured articles, food, and miscellaneous transactions and commodities.

Between January and September, the trade deficit widened by €373 million, to €1,822.6 million.

When compared to the corresponding period last year, imports registered an increase of €215 million, while exports decreased by €158.1 million.

Malta’s trade imports from the European Union reached €2,313.9 million, or 49.8 per cent of the total for the period under review. There was a drop of €357.1 million in imports from euro area countries when compared to the same period last year. Increases in imports were mainly registered from the United States of America, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. Malta’s exports to the euro area decreased by €94.4 million.