Maldives has recorded a seven percent increase in exports for 2016 in comparison with the year before, statistics have shown.
Customs records show that Maldives exported MVR3.9 billion worth of goods in 2016, compared with the MVR3.7 billion made from exports in 2015.
The main market for Maldivian exports in 2016 was Thailand, with the country importing 33 percent of all Maldivian goods exported.
Sri Lanka and the United States came in second and third, with Sri Lanka importing 11 percent and the United States importing 9 percent of all the goods exported from the Maldives.
Customs statistics for last year showed an increase in imports as well, with MVR34 billion worth of goods being brought into the country. This is a 12 percent increase from the MVR31 billion in 2015.
The majority imports by Maldives last year were machinery and electronics, according to Customs reports, with 21 percent of all imports in the two categories.
Food was the second most imported good, with 19 percent of all imports being food based. The third largest import for 2016 was fuel.
Statistics attributed the increase in machinery for the ongoing landmark China-Maldives friendship bridge project.
UAE, Singapore and India were the largest exporters to the Maldives last year.
The revenue from import duty had also risen for 2016, with MVR2.6 billion made compared to the MVR2.4 billion collected in 2015.
