Algeria Trade Surplus Falls In 1st Quarter, Energy Exports Down 6.8 Pct

ALGIERS (Reuters) – Algeria’s trade surplus in the first quarter of this year fell to $2.6 billion from $3.36 billion a year earlier, with exports particularly hit by a 6.8 percent drop in energy earnings, the government customs office said.

Algeria’s oil and gas export revenues, which account for 95 percent of total exports, were $15.7 billion in the first quarter versus $16.85 billion a year earlier, according to the CNIS customs statistics agency website.