Today shares in Fyffes, a major banana importer, jumped by more than 6% on the prospect of rising imports.
Although exports fell, the main reason for the deterioration in the deficit was rising imports.
Falling exports and rising imports contributed about equally to the widening gap with China.
Rising imports continue to widen the trade deficit and hamper growth.
America remains heavily dependent on the stuff, and with global recovery comes rising prices, which feed through to rising imports.
Rising imports often coincide with a strengthening economy, as more prosperous and confident consumers buy more foreign goods.
As retail sales increase, a new threat looms: rising imports that satisfy consumer demand but worsen the trade deficit.
Economists expect that this year's deficit will be essentially unchanged from 2010 as rising imports, reflecting a growing American economy, are matched by continued strong export sales.
Similar problems have played out with other agricultural products under price controls, like lags in production and rising imports for beef, milk and corn.
But tourism and services have not kept up with rising imports, not least the ubiquitous Mercedes cars clogging Nicosia's roads.
