The trade deficit in Mauritius shrank to MUR 10.4 billion in July 2019 from MUR 12.6 billion in the same month last year, as exports rose 5 percent to MUR 7.1 billion, buoyed by shipments of food & live animals (3.8 percent) and crude materials, inedible, except fuels (6.5 percent). In contrast, sales decreased for miscellaneous manufactured articles (-10%); manufactured goods (-10.9 percent); chemicals & chemical products (-0.7 percent) and machinery & transport equipment (-21.9 percent). Imports declined 9.7 percent to MUR 17.4 billion, amid lower purchases of machinery & transport equipment (-6.9 percent); mineral fuels, lubricants & related materials (-8 percent); manufactured goods (-1 percent) and food & live animals (-28.9 percent). Balance of Trade in Mauritius averaged -6376.40 MUR Million from 1985 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 560 MUR Million in September of 1986 and a record low of -23045 MUR Million in December of 2012.
Balance of Trade in Mauritius is expected to be -8000.00 MUR Million by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Balance of Trade in Mauritius to stand at -6300.00 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the Mauritius Balance of Trade is projected to trend around -10600.00 MUR Million in 2020, according to our econometric models.