World

Portugal Aug-Oct trade deficit widens, imports soar

Published December 11, 2017 Updated December 11, 2017 10:26pm

The National Statistics Institute (INE) said on Monday that the trade deficit, which is for goods only, rose to 4.056 billion euros in the period.

In October alone, exports soared rose by over 21 percent from a year ago and imports jumped by nearly 12 percent.

In August-October, exports to European Union countries, Portugal's main market, rose by 9.6 percent while imports from those countries increased by 12.5 percent. Exports outside of the European Union rose by 11.8 percent, but the rise in imports from non-EU countries was still higher at 19 percent.

The country has been running a surplus in the combined trade of goods and services, which includes the booming tourism sector, helping the economic growth.

 

Copyright Reuters, 2017