Egypt's trade balance deficit reached LE18.04 billion ($2.5 billion) in December 2013, state-run statistical body CAPMAS reported on Monday. The figure represented a 21.2 percent drop compared to the same month in 2012, when the deficit stood at LE22.9 billion ($3.2 billion). The value of Egypt's exports in November 2013 declined three percent from the previous year, recording LE16.8 billion ($2.4 billion). Among the main products to suffer a drop in exports, according to CAPMAS, were petroleum products, crude oil, fertilisers, edible oil, and margarine. Similarly, the value of imports also shrank by 13.6 percent to reach LE34.8 billion ($5 billion) compared to LE40.3 billion ($5.7 billion) in November of the previous year. Imports included wheat, crude oil, petroleum products. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/97446.aspx
