Tunisia's trade deficit jumped 18 percent in the first seven months of 2014 compared to the same period last year, to a total 7.68 billion dinars ($4.48 billion), official data showed on Sunday.

The State Statistics Institute said a 3.8 percent rise in imports in January-July, to 24 billion dinars, had helped push the trade deficit higher from 6.5 billion dinars at the end of July 2013.

Exports fell by 1.8 percent to 16.27 billion dinars.