A planned lithium-ion battery anode factory
Canadian mining company NextSource Materials, which exploits graphite from the Malagasy Molo mine and signed a commercial memorandum of understanding with the South Korean Posco (see previous page), is also carrying out a project for a purified graphite manufacturing unit intended for anodes for batteries, in Mauritius. The company will use a license already used to supply purified graphite to the supply chains of Toyota and Tesla and will target Asian markets.. The project should see the light of day in the Jin Fei industrial zone, north of Port Louis. Last August, NextSource Materials had to organize an information meeting for residents of neighboring neighborhoods, suspecting the launch of a polluting production activity at their doors.
A new terminal for liners
The Mauritius Port Authority will inaugurate a new terminal for liners in Port-Louis in November, at the pier built a few years earlier to accommodate cruise ships. The Mauritian capital should host a total of 24 cruise ship calls in 2023 (around 24,000 passengers), a figure synonymous with recovery after the health crisis which led to the interruption of this activity for two years in the Indian Ocean. The MPA hopes to quickly beat its annual record of 40 stopovers, which dates back to 2018. The strategy set by the Vanilla Islands, however, consists of welcoming as a priority small-sized liners and favoring quality over mass., for the sake of sustainable development and responsible tourism.
The trade deficit is widening further
Mauritius' trade deficit expected to reach 205 billion rupees (more than 4 billion euros) in 2023, according to the latest forecasts from Statistics Mauritius. Its increase should approach 10% compared to 2022 (187 billion rupees). Total exports for the year are expected to reach 110 billion (almost 2,3 billion euros), increasing by 3,8 %, but imports will increase further : 315 billion rupees (6,5 billion euros, +7,9% compared to 2022). Statistics Mauritius evokes exceptional elements, notably the importation of equipment for the new tram terminals from India, to explain this increase.
