In January 2026, preliminary foreign trade data showed a trade deficit of US$6.481 billion. This compares to a surplus of US$2.430 billion reported in December 2025. The reduction in the trade balance between December 2025 and January 2026 stemmed from a decrease in the non-oil trade balance—which fell from a surplus of US$4.837 billion in December to a deficit of US$4.267 billion in January—and a smaller deficit in the oil trade balance—which decreased from US$2.408 billion to US$2.214 billion during the same period. In the first month of this year, the value of merchandise exports totaled US$48.008 billion, an 8.1% ... (full story)