DOHA: Qatar’s foreign trade surplus reached QR36.98bn in January 2014, down 1.7 percent from a year ago. period
In January 2014, general exports of goods, including exports of domestic origin and re-exports, amounted to QR45.8bn, showing an increase of 2.8 percent compared to the general export value of the corresponding month of 2013, the preliminary figures released by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics noted yesterday.
On the other hand, the imports of January 2014 amounted to QR8.8bn, an increase of 27.5 percent over the value recorded in the same month last year.
The period between January 2013 and January 2014 witnessed a rise in general exports, which was due to higher exports of petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons reaching QR31bn in January 2014, that is 2.6 percent compared to January 2013, the preliminary figures released by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics noted.
However, the increase has been partially offset by the drop in exports of petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals (crude) to reach QR7.2bn (11 percent), and petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals (not crude) to reach QR1.5bn (45.9 percent).
In January 2014, the major countries of destination for Qatar’s exports were Japan with QR13bn, a share of 28 percent of general exports, South Korea with QR9bn (20 percent), and India with QR6.3bn (14 percent).
The Y-o-Y increase in imports reflected in cars and other passenger vehicles, to reach QR0.8bn in January 2014, i.e. 26.2 percent compared to January 2013, Aircraft spare parts to reach QR 0.7bn (121.0 percent), and Telephone sets to reach QR 0.2bn (64.3 percent).
In January 2014, the US was the leading country of origin with QR 1.3bn, a share of 15 percent of the imports, followed by China with QR 0.9bn (10 percent), United Arab Emirates and Germany with QR 0.7bn each (8 percent). The Peninsula
