In May 2025, Malta's trade deficit decreased to EUR 273.2 million, compared to EUR 388.7 million in the same month of the previous year. This improvement was attributed to a 23.3% year-on-year reduction in imports, amounting to EUR 638 million. The decline in imports was primarily driven by a decrease in purchases of mineral fuels, lubricants, related materials, and machinery and transport equipment. Conversely, exports experienced a 17.6% decline, dropping to EUR 365 million. This decrease was mainly due to reduced exports of mineral fuels, lubricants, and machinery, although there was a notable increase in chemical exports.
Over the first five months of 2025, Malta's trade deficit narrowed to EUR 1,492.2 million, down from EUR 1,622.5 million in 2024. During this period, exports fell by 10.9% to EUR 1,785 million, while imports decreased by 9.6% to EUR 3,278 million. The majority of goods were imported from the European Union, accounting for 60.3% of total purchases, and from Asia, making up 21.0%. On the export side, the European Union was the largest market, receiving 36.1% of total shipments, followed by Asia at 12.9%. Notably, exports to the United States saw a significant decline, plummeting by 65.9%.
