In September, Malta's trade deficit decreased to €307.8 million, down from €343.4 million in the same month the previous year. This improvement was primarily due to a reduction in imports, which decreased by €43.6 million to €768.3 million. This decline was largely attributed to reduced purchases of mineral fuels, lubricants, and related materials, which dropped by €41.1 million, as well as miscellaneous commodities, which decreased by €12.0 million. A significant portion of imports came from the EU (62.3%) and Asia (19.2%), with the Netherlands reporting the most notable increase in imports at €133.3 million, while Italy experienced the largest decrease at €167.2 million.
On the export side, there was a reduction of €8.0 million, bringing total exports to €460.5 million. This downturn was primarily driven by a decrease in exports of mineral fuels, which fell by €34.5 million, and miscellaneous goods. However, there were compensating increases in machinery exports, which rose by €31.9 million, and chemical exports, which grew by €13.4 million. Notably, exports to Turkey increased by €79.5 million, whereas those to the United States saw a decline of €117.0 million.
Looking at the broader picture over the first nine months of the year, Malta’s trade deficit contracted by €278.4 million, amounting to a total of €3,619.4 million.
