Mauritius trade deficit widens 28.1 pct in March
PORT LOUIS (Reuters) - Mauritius said on Tuesday its trade deficit widened 28.1 percent to 6.91 billion rupees ($196.59 million) in March from the same period a year earlier, hit by lower exports of machinery and transport equipment. Revenue from exports fell 21.1 percent to 6.93 billion rupees, with machinery and transport equipment declining to 257 million rupees from 1.93 billion rupees in March last year, Statistics Mauritius said in a statement. Imports to the Indian Ocean island nation fell 2.4 percent to 13.85 billion rupees, the data showed. Britain was the main buyer of goods from Mauritius in March accounting for 13.3 percent. India supplied 18.3 percent of Mauritius' imports. ($1 = 35.1500 Mauritius rupees) (Reporting by Jean Paul Arouff; Editing by Edmund Blair)