RABAT- Morocco's trade deficit widened 8 percent to 118.3 billion dirhams ($12.4 billion) in the first seven months of 2018 compared with the same period last year, the foreign exchange regulator said on Thursday.

Imports increased 9.8 percent to 278.3 billion dirhams in January through July, outstripping an 11.2 percent rise in exports which reached 160.0 billion dirhams.

Equipment imports rose 12.1 percent to 68.7 billion dirhams, finished consumer goods increased 7.2 percent to 62.3 billion and semi-finished goods rose 4.4 percent to 58.8 billion.

There was a surge in energy imports by 16.8 percent to 45.6 billion dirhams and a 7.5 percent rise in food imports to 28.6 billion.

The automotive sector continued to top Morocco’s exports with a rise of 16.9 percent to 38.5 billion dirhams, followed by agriculture and agri-food exports with an increase of 5 percent to 34.5 billion.

Exports of phosphates and derivatives were up 15.1 percent to 29.2 billion dirhams.

Aeronautical sector exports posted a 19.8 percent increase to 7.1 billion dirhams and electronics exports grew 4.7 percent to 5.6 billion.

Tourism receipts surged 9.3 percent to 38.3 billion dirhams, while remittances from Moroccans living abroad rose 5.3 percent to 37.6 billion.

Foreign direct investments plummeted 25.6 percent to 12.6 billion dirhams.

(Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and David Holmes) ((ahmed.eljechtimi@thomsonreuters.com;))