Jamaica's merchandise trade deficit jumped to US$3.7 billion during the period January to July this year, compared with US$3.5 billion during the same period of last year.
The merchandise trade deficit is the difference between the value of physical goods and imported and physical goods exported.
The increase in the deficit was mainly due to and a fall in total exports to US$993 million from US$1.05 billion last year, along with an increase in the value of imports to US$4.72 billion this year, from US$4.52 billion during the same period last year.
Domestic exports fell to $908.2 million this year from US$960 million last year, while re-exports dipped to US$84.8 million, compared with US$88.2 million last year.
Imports from CARICOM dipped to US$252.2 million from US$269.9 million but exports to the region also fell to US$85.6 million this year from US$106 million last year.
Data released by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) also revealed that imports from the European Union fell to US$332.9 million during the first seven months of this year.
Exports to the region also dipped to US$99 million from US$110 million last year.
Meanwhile, the bulk of the country's imports - US$2.14 billion - came from the USA, Mexico and Canada, compared with US$1.87 billion last year.
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