As per the newly released High Customs figures, Lebanon’s foreign trade rose considerably in the first quarter of 2025 relative to the first quarter 2024 amid the economic activity normalization post-war and the favorable political developments with considerable macro repercussions. As a matter of fact, imports grew by 10.1% year-on-year over the first quarter 2025 to reach US$ 4,376 million, while exports rose by 30.0% to reach US$ 957 million over the same period. As a result, the trade deficit grew by 5.6% to reach US$ 3,419 million, the equivalent of circa 41% of Lebanon’s GDP.  Looking at the evolution of the highest weighted imports into Lebanon in Q1-2025, Mineral Products (weight of 28.7%) imports noted a year-on-year increase of 14.9% against the same quarter of the year prior to reach US$ 1,257 million. Jewelry (weight of 12.0%) reached US$ 525 million in Q1-2025, down by 21.9% from US$ 672 million in Q1 2024.  Chemical Products (weight of 8.6%) and Electrical Equipment & Products (weight of 7.9%) imports noted year-on-year increases of 21.3% and 27.1% between Q1-2024 and Q1-2025. Additionally, Vegetable Products (weight of 7.1%) and Food Products (weight of 6.1%) exports both noted year-on-year increases of 7.6% and 0.8% respectively during the aforementioned period.  At the level of the evolution of imports into Lebanon by highest weighted exporting country, China (weight of 11.1%) noted a year-on-year increase of 19.1% to reach US$ 487 million in Q1-2025, up from US$ 409 million in Q1-2024. Importsfrom Greece (weight of 10.2%), Turkey (weight of 9.6%) and Egypt (weight of 8.5%) all noted year-on-year increases of 24.2%, 42.4% and 113.7% respectively during the period. Imports from the UAE to Lebanon (weight of 5.9%) increased between Q1-2024 and Q1-2025 as well to reach US$ 256 million in the latter, noting a year-on-year jump of 141.5% while imports from Italy (weight of 5.6%) noted a year-on-year decrease of 23.3% during the period.   Looking at the evolution of the highest weighted exports from Lebanon in Q1-2025, Jewelry (weight of 43.3%) noted a year-on-year jump of 120.2% against the same quarter of the year prior to reach US$ 414 million. Metal & Metal Products (weight of 14.7%) reached US$ 141 million in Q1-2025, up by 16.5% from US$ 121 million in Q1 2024. Food Products (weight of 10.3%) exports noted a year-on-year decrease of 10.8% between Q1-2024 and Q1-2025 while Chemical Products (weight of 6.9%) exports increased by 4.8% during the period. Electrical Equipment & Products (weight of 6.6%) and Vegetable Products (weight of 4.1%) exports both noted year-on-year decreases of 18.2% and 7.1% respectively during the aforementioned period.  At the level of the evolution of exports from Lebanon by highest weighted recipient country, Switzerland (weight of 28.9%) noted a year-on-year jump of more than eight-folds to reach US$ 277 million in Q1-2025, up from US$ 33 million in Q1-2024. Exports to the UAE (weight of 16.4%), Qatar (weight of 4.1%) and USA (weight of 3.8%) all noted year-on-year increases of 1.3%, 44.4% and 24.1% respectively during the period. On the other hand, exports from Lebanon to Egypt (weight of 3.7%) decreased between Q1-2024 and Q1-2025 to reach US$ 35 million in the latter noting a year-on-year decrease of 23.9% while exports to Syria (weight of 3.6%) noted a year-on-year jump of 61.9% during the period.  Looking at the evolution of exports by port of entry during Q1-2025, exports through PoB recorded a year-on-year decrease of 1.4% to reach US$ 348 million, down from US$ 353 million in Q1-2024. Exports through the Port of Saida also noted a year-on-year decrease of 34.4% between Q1-2024 and Q1-2025 to reach US$ 21 million. On the other hand, exports through the Port of Tripoli noted a year-on-year jump of 18.2% during the period to reach US$ 52 million in Q1-2025. In turn, overall exports through the sea noted a year-on-year decrease of 1.9% between Q1-2024 and Q1-2025.  Exports through the air (Beirut International Airport) almost doubled in value between Q1-2024 and Q1-2025 to reach US$ 482 million in the latter, up by 94.4% year-on-year from US$ 248 million in the former.  (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: Bank Audi, Lebanon Weekly Monitor, 12 - 18 May 2025