Malta's trade deficit widened slightly to €339.0 million in May 2026 from a revised €326.9 million in the same month a year earlier.
Exports jumped 26.6% year-on-year to €516.1 million, driven mainly by higher shipments of mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials (€88.7 million) and machinery and transport equipment (€30.9 million), partly offset by weaker exports of chemicals and chemical products.
Meanwhile, imports rose 16.4% to €855.1 million, largely due to increased purchases of mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials (€170.3 million).
The rise was partly offset by lower imports of machinery and transport equipment (€30.1 million), chemicals (€8.7 million), and food (€8.6 million).
During the January-May period, EU countries accounted for 62.3% of Malta's imports (€2.14 billion) and 32.0% of its exports (€659.5 million).