PORT LOUIS, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Mauritius said its trade deficit widened 5.4 percent to 9.09 billion rupees ($273.80 million) in December from the same period a year earlier, driven largely by higher imports of machinery and transport equipment.

The value of imports rose 4.3 percent to 17.49 billion rupees, with the machinery and transport equipment advancing to 6.15 billion rupees from 4.21 billion rupees in December last year, Statistics Mauritius said in a statement on Tuesday.

Exports from the Indian Ocean island nation rose 3.1 percent to 8.40 billion rupees, the data showed.

The United Arab Emirates was the main buyer of goods from Mauritius in December, ahead of Britain, accounting for 15.4 percent. India supplied 23.3 percent of Mauritius' imports.

Copyright Reuters, 2015