Trade deficit expands 10.5% in first half as exports decline, imports rise
[AMNA]
Imports rose and exports shrank during the first half of the year, expanding the trade deficit by 10.5%, the Hellenic Statistics Authority announced Wednesday.
Imports rose 1.9%, to €42.03 billion, from €41.26 billion in the first half of 2023, while exports declined to €25.29 billion from €26.12 billion last year. As a result, the trade deficit rose to €16.73 billion from €15.14 billion in the first half of 2023.
The trend appeared to be reversed in June, when imports declined 2.5%, compared to June 2023, and exports rose 2.1%. But if the second half is a repeat of the first, exports will decline for the second year in a row.
