(TAP) - The manufacturing trade balance deficit widened in 2022 to a value of 9.9 billion dinars, against a deficit of 7.1 billion dinars in 2021, reads the economic newsletter published by the Agency for the Promotion of Industry and Innovation (APII).

This deficit is explained, mainly, by the increase in the value of imports of the manufacturing sector by 24.1%, to 60.6 billion dinars in 2022, from 48.9 billion dinars in 2021.

Manufacturing exports grew slowly (21.7%), to 50.7 billion dinars in 2022.

APII reported an increase in exports of the textile-clothing sector by 20%, chemical industries by 43.4%, and agro-food industries by 44.8%.

Similarly, exports of miscellaneous industries and mechanical and electrical industries went up 22.3% and 14.5%, respectively in 2022, compared to 2021.

Exports of manufacturing industries posted growth in the various sectors without exception at rates ranging from 14.5% to 44.8%.

Likewise, imports of leather and footwear sector recorded the highest import value, at 13.6 billion dinars, up 29.5%, compared to 2021.

This also applies to the chemical and textile-clothing industries, whose imports increased respectively by 30% (to 10 billion dinars) and 28% (to 7.7 billion dinars), while imports from the miscellaneous industries are up 42%, to 6.4 billion dinars in 2022.

Imports of the food industries sector also increased by 60.4%, to 4.1 billion dinars in the same year.