Egypt’s trade deficit decreased by 10.8% in December 2019, reaching $3.45bn from $3.87bn in the same month in 2018, the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) said over its monthly report “Foreign Trade Data,” released on Monday.

Exports value increase by 0.5 % as it reached $2.59bn in December 2019, versus $2.57bn for the same month of 2018, the report said, adding that exports value of some commodities increased in December 2019, versus its value in the same month of previous year. The CAPMAS report said crude oil exports went up by 10.9%, ready-made clothes by 1.9%, plastics in primary forms by 27.6%, and fresh fruits by 7.4%.

Meanwhile, the report showed a decrease in value for some commodities such as petroleum products by 25.3%, pastries and various food preparations by 24.7%, medicines and pharmacy preparations by 5.7%, and ceramic tiles and sanitary ware by 6.5%.

Moreover, imports value decreased by 6.2 % as it reached $6.04bn in December 2019, versus $6.44bn for December 2018, due to the decreased value of some commodities such as petroleum products by 40.6%, raw materials of iron or steel by 8.4%, wheat by 14.4%, and medicines and pharmaceutical preparations by 12.9%, the report explained.

Imports of some commodities increased in December 2019, versus the same month the previous year such as passenger cars by 6.2%, organic and inorganic chemicals by6.9%, and individual telephones by 26.8%, the report concluded.