Mauritius Trade Gap Widens to Rs 211.2 Billion as 2025 Exports Slump by 2.1%

The national trade deficit surged to Rs 211.2 billion in 2025, driven by a combination of declining export revenues and a steady rise in the cost of imports, according to the latest economic data.

The year-end figures reveal a challenging period for the economy, with total export receipts falling by 2.1% to Rs 107.7 billion, down from Rs 109.9 billion the previous year.

Conversely, total imports saw a slight uptick of 0.4%, reaching Rs 318.9 billion.

Fourth Quarter Downturn

The final three months of 2025 underscored the widening gap. During the fourth quarter, total exports (including bunkering) slipped by 1% compared to the same period in 2024, valued at Rs 26.7 billion.

Import costs for the same quarter jumped to Rs 88.1 billion, a 2.3% increase.

This resulted in a quarterly trade deficit of Rs 61.4 billion, representing a 3.8% increase over the Rs 59.2 billion deficit recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2024.

Global Trading Partners

Europe remains the primary destination for goods, accounting for 42.7% of all exports. However, on a country-by-country basis, the trade network showed significant diversity:

Top Export Destinations:

• South Africa: 12.6%
• United States: 10.5%
• United Kingdom: 9.7%
• Madagascar: 9.4%
• France: 8.2%

On the import side, Asia has cemented its role as the lead supplier, providing 56.1% of total imports valued at Rs 178.8 billion.

China led the pack, accounting for 17.4% of imports, followed by the UAE (10.9%) and India (8.2%).

2026 Outlook: A Slight Recovery?

Forecasters are eyeing a marginal improvement for the coming year. Total exports for 2026 are projected to rise by 1.9% to approximately Rs 110 billion.

While imports are also expected to climb slightly to Rs 320 billion (a 0.3% increase), the overall trade deficit is predicted to shrink by 0.5%, settling at roughly Rs 210 billion.

Source: Le Mauricien