Egypt's trade deficit grew 4.3 percent in February compared to the same period last year, the state-run statistics agency CAPMAS reported on Thursday.

The deficit reached LE21 billion in February, compared to LE20.2 billion in the same period the previous year.

The report attributed the growth in the trade deficit to a 6.9 percent increase in imports to LE33.7 billion, and a 20.9 percent decline in exports to LE12.7 billion.