Morocco's trade deficit stood at 199.74 billion dirhams at the end of December 2021, up 25% compared to the year 2020, according to the Office des Changes (exchange office).
For the year 2021, imports have increased by 24.5% compared to the end of 2020 and 7.3% compared to the end of 2019, said the Office des Changes in its monthly bulletin of foreign trade indicators in December, adding that the coverage rate has stabilized at 62.1%.
The increase in imports of goods (+24.5%) follows the rise in purchases of all groups of products, mainly, finished consumer products (MAD +28.19 bln), energy products (MAD +25.76 bln), half-products (MAD +22.10 bln) and capital goods (MAD +13.75 Bln), said the same source.
As for the increase in imports of finished consumer products (+29.7%), it is mainly due to the increase in purchases of passenger cars (+46.5% or +5.86 billion dirhams) and those of drugs and other pharmaceutical products (+68.4% or +5.23 billion dirhams) attributable to the purchase of anti-Covid19 vaccines, noted the Office.
