PORT LOUIS, Sept 6: Mauritius’ trade deficit widened 19 per cent for the first half of 2007 to 21.1 billion rupees ($676.3 million) from 17.7 billion for the same period in 2006, official data showed on Thursday.

The Central Statistics Office report did not give a reason for the widening gap, but stuck to an earlier estimate that this year’s trade deficit would widen 3.9 per cent to a record 43 billion rupees from 41.4 billion rupees in 2006.

Britain, France and the United States bought 27.8, 14.9 and 8.4 per cent of Mauritian exports for the first six months of the year. India and China accounted for 23.1 and 10.5

per cent of the imports, respectively.

Facing the end of trade preferences on its key sugar and textile industries, the Indian Ocean nation is opening and diversifying its roughly $6.5 billion economy.

While its trade deficit widens, Mauritius is expecting tourist arrivals to increase by 14.2 per cent this year and foreign direct investment to rise by 38 per cent.—Reuters