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A combination of lower imports and increased exports have led to an improvement in the balance of payments of the country of Lebanon. The country has in past years imported several times more the amount that it exports, which had led to a great deficit of trade. Due to a slowing economy, imports have decreased enough to begin to improve the deficit. In addition, an emphasis placed on the service export sector (health care, education, etc.) has contributed to the improvement.

Louis Hobeika, an economics and finance professor, has stated that "the slowdown in economic activities this year was translated into lower imports and therefore a lower deficit in the balance of trade, which resulted in the shrinking in the balance of payments deficit."