RABAT- Morocco's trade deficit widened by 2.4% to 140 billion dirhams ($14.5 billion) in the first eight months of 2019 compared with the same period last year, the country's foreign exchange regulator said in figures published on its website.

Imports rose 2.9% to 328 billion dirhams, while exports, composed mainly of agricultural products, cars and phosphates, stood at 188 billion dirhams, up 3.2%.

Remittances from Moroccans living abroad, key to Morocco's hard currency flow, dropped 1.3% to 44.6 billion dirhams, while foreign direct investment fell 30.4% to 12.3 billion dirhams, the regulator said.

(Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi; Editing by Mark Potter) ((ahmed.eljechtimi@thomsonreuters.com;))