Qatar’s foreign merchandise trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports, showed a surplus of QR8.6bn in December 2020, according to the preliminary figures released by the Planning and Statistics Authority.
The trade surplus in December witnessed a decline of about QR5.7bn, or 39.8 percent, compared to December 2019. When compared on monthly basis, it has decreased by nearly QR500m or 5.2 percent, compared to November 2020.
In December 2020, the total exports of goods (including exports of goods of domestic origin and re-exports) amounted to around QR17.1bn, showing a decrease of 27.3 percent compared to December 2019, and increase of 3.3 percent compared to November 2020.
The imports of goods in December 2020 amounted to around QR8.5bn, showing a decrease of 8.0 percent over December 2019. However, on a month-on-month (M-o-M) basis the imports increased by 13.4 percent.
The year-on-year decrease in total exports in December 2020 was mainly due to lower exports of Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons (LNG, condensates, propane, butane, and others) reaching QR9.4bn approximately in December 2020, a decrease of 36.8 percent, Petroleum oils & oils from bituminous minerals (crude) reaching QR3.0bn nearly, decreased by 26.7 percent, and increase in the Petroleum oils & oils from bituminous minerals (not crude) reaching QR1.5bn, increased by 8.2 percent.
