Mauritius 2010 trade deficit widens by 17.2 pct

Mauritius' trade deficit widened 17.2 percent in 2010 as rising imports outstripped growth in exports, the statistics office said on Tuesday.

Total exports came to 68.866 billion rupees, up 11.6 percent from 2009, while imports climbed 14.3 percent to 135.394 billion rupees, the Central Statistics Office said.

This resulted in a trade deficit of 66.528 billion, 17.2 percent higher than the figure of 56.763 billion for the previous year, it said in a statement.

The Indian Ocean island economy grew by 4.2 percent in 2010.

There was a 39.7 percent jump in the value of mineral fuels and lubricant imports, while manufactured goods imports rose 17 percent and dairy product imports increased 18.9 percent.

Exports of machinery and transport equipment rose 14.3 percent in 2010 from a year earlier. Sugar exports increased by 13.4 percent while exports of live primates fell by 1.4 percent.

The CSO said 38.7 percent of exports in 2010 were clothes and clothing accessories, 12.5 percent were sugar and 16.3 percent were fish and fish products.

Britain was Mauritius' main export market again in 2010 with a 21.8 percent share, followed by France on 16.7 percent, the United States on 10 percent and Madagascar at 7.1 percent.

The Central Statistics Office said that in 2010 India was the main source of imports with 22.3 percent, followed by China on 13.3 percent and South Africa with 8.4 percent.