RABAT: Morocco's trade deficit rose 6.1 percent to 52.51 billion dirhams ($5.5 billion) in the first four months of 2016 compared with the same period a year ago due to higher imports, the foreign exchange regulator said on Monday.

Equipment imports rose 15.6 percent to 34.4 billion dirhams, the data showed.

Wheat imports also jumped as bad weather hurt the local harvest this year, although the regulator's figures only went up to the end of March, as of which imports were 10.6 percent up from a year earlier to 3.48 billion dirhams.

The North African kingdom's energy import bill fell 25.6 percent to 15.68 billion dirhams compared with a year earlier. Morocco is the biggest energy importer in the region.

Total exports rose 3 percent from a year earlier to 76.87 billion dirhams, led by a 15 percent rise in auto exports. Phosphate sales fell 6.6 percent to 12.78 billion dirhams.

Tourism receipts rose by 6.2 percent, while remittances from the 4.5 million Moroccans living abroad were 4 percent up to 19.41 billion dirhams. Foreign direct investment fell 9.6 percent to 10.29 billion dirhams.

Copyright Reuters, 2016