Overall food group imports into the country witnessed increase of 4.51 percent during the period under review by growing from $4.526 billion last year to $4.730 billion during the ongoing fiscal year, the data revealed.

Meanwhile, on year-on-year basis, the tea imports into the country increased by 5.89 percent during the month of March 2018 against the imports of the same month of last year.

The tea imports during March 2018 were recorded at $52.878 million against the imports of $49.939 million in March 2017.

On month-on-month basis, the tea imports into the country however decreased by 8.93 percent when compared to the imports of $58.062 million in February 2018, the data revealed.

It is pertinent to mention here that the overall imports into the country during the first three quarters increased by 15.66 percent by going up from $38.369 billion last year to $44.379 billion during the current fiscal year.

Exports from the country also increased by 13.14 percent during the first three quarters of the current fiscal year against the exports of corresponding period of last year. The exports from the country during July-March (2017-18) were recorded at $17.080 billion compared to the exports of $15.097 billion during July-March (2016-17).

Based on the figures, the trade deficit during the first three quarters of fiscal year 2017-18 increased by 17.30 percent by growing from the deficit of $23.272 billion last year to $27.299 billion during the current year, the PBS data revealed.