The visible trade gap was slashed by €64 million in April, to stand at €67 million, as exports received a boost and imports fell.

Exports rose by €49 million in value compared to the same month last year, with the main contributors being machinery and transport equipment and mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials. Other increases were registered for semi-manufactured goods, chemicals, miscellaneous transactions and commodities, and food, the National Statistics Office said.

The value of imports was down by €15 million, mainly due to capital and consumer goods, while an increase was registered for industrial supplies, fuels and lubricants.

In the first four months of this year, the visible trade gap narrowed by €182.1 million to stand at €306 million, with the value of imports declining by €6.3 over the same period last year and exports rising by €175.8 million in value.

Drops were registered in imports from the UK, the Netherlands and Germany and there were increases in the case of Italy, France, Spain and Belgium.

Exports to the euro area rose, as was the case with the US and Japan.