Malta’s trade deficit narrowed to EUR 525 million in July 2026, down from EUR 993 million in the same month a year earlier, although it still marked the widest monthly gap since July 2025. Exports jumped by 37.1%, driven by strong gains in mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials (up 7.4%), chemicals (up 135%), machinery and transport equipment (up 23.6%), food (up 76.7%), and miscellaneous manufactured articles (up 72.8%).
At the same time, imports fell sharply, dropping 25.0% amid lower purchases of machinery and transport equipment (down 38.7%), food (down 25.6%), semi-manufactured goods (down 14.0%), chemicals (down 4.4%), and animal and vegetable oils and fats (down 14.8%).
Over the first seven months of the year, the trade deficit narrowed to EUR 2,479 million from EUR 3,087 million in the corresponding period of the previous year.