Algeria trade surplus falls in 1st Quarter, energy exports down 6.8 pct: agency

A general view of Tiguentourine Gas Plant in In Amenas, 1600 km (994 miles) southeast of Algiers, October 2, 2013. REUTERS/Louafi Larbi

ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algeria's trade surplus in the first quarter of this year fell to $2.6 billion from $3.36 billion a year earlier, with exports particularly hit by a 6.8 percent drop in energy earnings, the government customs office said. Algeria's oil and gas export revenues, which account for 95 percent of total exports, were $15.7 billion in the first quarter versus $16.85 billion a year earlier, according to the CNIS customs statistics agency website.