Qatar’s trade balance recorded a surplus of 22.5 percent during May 2020 compared to the previous month, but decreased by 60.4 percent year-on-year.
The Planning and Statistics Authority said in a statement issued yesterday that on foreign trade, that the country’s merchandise trade balance had achieved QR5.3bn, registering an increase of approximately QR1.0bn compared to April 2020, but declined by QR8.1bn, from a year ago.
The data indicate that the value of Qatari exports (which includes exports of local origin and re-export) amounted to approximately QR13.3bn, a decrease of 41.4 percent on year-on-year, and an increase of 12.1 percent compared to April this year, while the value of merchandise imports decreased to reach about QR7.9bn, an annual decline of 13.7 percent, and an increase of 6.0 percent compared to April 2020.
The value of exports of “oil gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons” decreased annually by 39.7 percent, to reach about QR8.2bn, while the value of “oils and oils for continental mineral raw materials” recorded approximately QR1.3bn, an annual decline of 67.5 percent, The value of exports of “oils and oils obtained from non-continental mineral materials” decreased by 68.8 percent, to register about QR0.5bn.
South Korea was the top destination country for the Qatari exports during May this year with a value of approximately QR2.1bn, or 15.9 percent of the total value of Qatari exports, followed by China with a value of approximately QR1.9bn, or 14.1 percent of the total of that value,followed by Japan with a value of approximately QR1.6bn, or 11.9 percent.
The jet turbines group came at the top of the list of commodity imports of the State at a value of QR1.0bn, an increase of 55.8 percent.
It was followed by the “regular aircraft parts and helicopters” group with about QR0.3bn, down 15.7 percent,.
The “cars and other vehicle vehicles designed mainly to transport persons “ group which amounted to approximately QR0.2bn, a decrease of 52.1 percent compared to May 2019.
The United States topped the list of countries of origin for the Qatari imports during May, with a value of approximately QR2.1bn and 26.5 percent of the total value of merchandise imports, then the United Kingdom with a value of QR1.3bn, or 16.5 percent, followed by China with QR1.1bn,a 13.3 percent of the value of imports.
