Mauritius Trade Deficit Narrows to Rs 12.8 Billion as Imports Tumble

The national trade deficit has seen a significant contraction, falling to Rs 12.8bn in January 2026, according to the latest figures from Statistics Mauritius.

Data released on 17 March reveals a sharp 36.8% improvement compared to December 2025.

On an annual basis, the visible trade gap narrowed by 25.8% from the same period last year.

The primary driver behind this shift is a substantial drop in imports. Total international trade activity cooled from Rs 34.7 Billion in January 2025 to Rs 30.6 Billion at the start of this year.

Import Slump

Imports fell by 16.5% year-on-year, dropping from Rs 26 Billion to Rs 21.7 Billion.

When compared to the previous month, the decline was even more pronounced at 26.5%.

Key commodities arriving in the country were led by:

• Food and live animals: 5bn rupees
• Mineral fuels and lubricants: 5bn rupees
• Machinery and transport equipment: 4.7bn rupees

China remains the primary supplier, accounting for 15.9% of imports, followed by Oman (11.1%), France (8.6%), the UAE (8.6%), India (7.5%), and South Africa (5.9%).

Export Resilience

While imports retracted, total exports showed modest growth, climbing to Rs 8.9 Billion from Rs 8.7 Billion a year earlier.

Domestic exports performed strongly, rising from Rs 3.8 Billion to Rs 4.8 Billion, though re-exports dipped from Rs 1.9 Billion to Rs 1.5 Billion.

The nation’s top exports included food and live animals (Rs 3.1 Billion), miscellaneous manufactured articles (Rs 1.35 Billion), and goods classified by material (Rs 737 Million).

The United Kingdom has emerged as the leading export market, taking 13.5% of the share, followed closely by the United States (12.9%), South Africa (11.4%), France (9.1%), Spain (8.6%), and Madagascar (7.8%).

Source: l’Express