Doha: Qatar’s foreign merchandise trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports, showed a surplus of QR25.9bn in January this year, an increase of about QR12.4bn or 91.3 percent compared to January 2021. The trade balance has increased nearly QR0.2bn or 0.8 percent compared to December 2021, according to preliminary figures of the value of exports of domestic goods, re-exports and imports for January 2022 released by the Planning and Statistics Authority, yesterday.
In January 2022, the total exports of goods (including exports of goods of domestic origin and re-exports) amounted to around QR35.5bn, showing an increase of 66.9 percent compared to January 2021, and a decrease of 0.2 percent compared to December 2021.
On other hand, the imports of goods in January 2022 amounted to around QR9.6bn, showing an increase of 24.3 percent compared to January 2021. and decrease of 2.8 percent compared to December 2021.
The year on year (January 2022 vs. January 2021) increase in total exports was mainly due to higher exports of Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons (LNG, condensates, propane, butane, etc.) reaching QR22.0bn (approximately) in January 2022, i.e. an increase of 68.0 percent, Petroleum oils & oils from bituminous minerals (crude) reaching QR5.5bn nearly, increase by 81.3 percent, and increase in the Petroleum oils & oils from bituminous minerals (not crude) reaching 2.9bn 68.9 percent.
In January 2022, China was at the top of the countries of destination of Qatar’s exports with close to QR6.9bn, a share of 19.3 percent of total exports, followed by India with almost QR4.18bn and a share of 11.8 percent, South Korea with about QR4.16bn, a share of 11.7 percent.
The year on year (January 2022 vs. January 2021), the group of “Turbojets, Turbo propellers & Other Gas Turbines; Parts Thereof” was at the top of the imported group of commodities, with QR0.6bn, showing an Increase of 3.0 percent.
In second place was “Motor Cars & Other Motor Vehicles for The Transport of Persons” with QR0.37bn, showing a decrease of 7.7 percent and in third place was “Electrical Apparatus for Line Telephony/Telegraphy, Telephone Sets Etc.; Parts Thereof” with QR0.35bn, increase of 27.6 percent. In January 2022, China was the leading country of origin of Qatar’s imports with about QR2.3bn, a share of 24.2 percent of the imports, followed by United State of America with QR1.1bn almost, a share of 11.2 percent, and India with QR0.7bn, a share of 7.3 percent.
