RABAT (Reuters) – Morocco’s annual trade deficit widened by 6.5% to 275 billion dirhams ($27.2 billion) in the first 11 months of this year, the foreign exchange regulator said on Tuesday.
Imports were up 5.7% from a year earlier to 689 billion dirhams, outweighing exports at 413 billion dirhams, up 5.2%, the regulator said in a monthly report.
Energy imports dropped 5.9% to 104 billion dirhams, while wheat imports fell 8.7% to 16.3 billion dirhams.
Morocco’s automotive industry, which includes Stellantis and Renault factories, was the leading export sector at 145 billion dirhams, up 6.7%.
Morocco also has the world’s largest phosphate reserves, and reported a 9.1% increase in exports of the mineral and its derivatives, including fertilisers, to 75.2 billion dirhams.
Remittances from Moroccans abroad, key to its inflow of hard currency, grew 2.8% to 108 billion dirhams, while tourism revenue was up 7.2% to 104 billion dirhams.
Foreign direct investments stood at 39.6 billion dirhams, up 30%.
(Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
