On the current account side of the balance of payments, Lebanon’s balance of trade deficit widened by $975.05 million (19.03%) y-o-y in the first four months of 2026 to just below $6.10 billion up from around $5.12 billion in the same period in 2025, according to statistics published by the Lebanese Customs Administration. Said rise in the deficit was buoyed by some $258.68 million annual decrease (21.61%) in exports to $938 million (in part attributed to the recent war) coupled with a $716.37 million (11.34%) increase in imports to around $7.04 billion.

The United Arab Emirates led the list of countries importing from Lebanon, with its imports’ invoice aggregating to $122 million (13.00% of Lebanon’s exports). China, on the other hand, topped the list of countries exporting to Lebanon, with its exports bill reaching $868 million (12.34% of Lebanon’s imports). This is further elaborated in the tables below:

Exports of “pearls, precious stones and metals” accounted alone for 23.64% ($222 million) of total Lebanese exports YTD April 2026, followed by “base metals and their products” ($166 million <17.71%>), “prepared foodstuffs, beverages & tobacco” ($135 million <14.37%>), and “machinery and electrical instruments” ($112 million <11.91%>). On the other hand, “mineral products” constituted the lion’s share of imported goods ($1,669 million <23.73%>), trailed by “pearls, precious stones and metals” ($1,157 million <16.44%>), “products of the chemical industry” ($654 million <9.30%>), and “machinery and electrical instruments” ($605 million <8.59%>).