In the first half of 2021, the trade balance deficit widened by more than 52 billion CFA francs (up 7.5%) compared to the first half of 2020 and amounted to 744 billion CFA francs.
This widening of the trade deficit is the result of the increase in import spending of 15.4% compared to the first half of 2020; The increase in export earnings of 21.5% recorded over the same period was not sufficient to cover import expenditure.
The coverage rate improved by 3 percentage points to 59.2%, compared to 56.2% in the first half of 2020; This reflects a higher relative growth in exports (21.5%) compared to imports (15.4%).
Excluding crude oil, the trade balance deficit stands at 1,170 billion CFA francs, worsening by 152 billion CFA francs (15.0%) compared to the first half of 2020.
