MEXICO CITY – Mexico’s petroleum exports rose 21.5 percent annually in the first nine months of the year, a period in which the Latin American country posted a $9 billion trade deficit, the National Statistics and Geography Institute (Inegi) said on Thursday.

Exports between January and September amounted to $299.3 billion, up 9.3 percent from the same period of 2016, Inegi said in a statement.

Petroleum (crude oil) exports climbed 21.5 percent to $16.2 billion, while non-petroleum exports rose 8.7 percent to $283 billion.

Imports totaled $308.3 billion, up 7.8 percent from the first nine months of 2016.

Petroleum (fuel and natural gas) imports soared 32.3 percent to $29.6 billion, while non-petroleum imports increased 5.7 percent to $278.8 billion.

Mexico’s trade deficit came in at $1.9 billion in September 2017, up 23.5 percent from the same month of 2016.

Exports amounted to $33.8 billion last month, a 3.4 percent increase from September 2016.

Petroleum exports totaled $1.9 billion, an annual increase of 1.1 percent, while non-petroleum exports amounted to $31.9 billion, up 3.6 percent from September 2016.

During that same month, Mexican imports came in at $35.7 billion, up 4.3 percent from September 2016.

Petroleum imports amounted to $3.6 billion, up 17.8 percent from September 2016, while non-petroleum imports totaled $32.1 billion, up 3 percent.

Mexico posted a $13.1 billion trade deficit in 2016, down 10.1 percent from its $14.6 billion trade deficit in 2015.