The National Planning Council has released preliminary figures of the value of exports of domestic goods, re-exports, and imports for April 2024. A brief analysis of the data is given below:
In April 2024, the total exports of goods (including exports of goods of domestic origin and re-exports) amounted to around QR 27.5 billion, showing a decrease of 10.5% compared to April 2023, and a decrease of 3.6% compared to March 2024.
On other hand, the imports of goods in April 2024 amounted to around QR 10.0 billion, showing an increase of 15.6% compared to April 2023. and decrease by 7.8% compared to March 2024.
In April 2024, the foreign merchandise trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports, showed a surplus of QR 17.4 billion almost, i.e., a decrease of about QR 4.6 billion or 20.8% compared to April 2023, and decrease by nearly QR 0.2 billion or 1.0% compared to March 2024.
The year on year (April 2024 vs. April 2023) decrease in total exports was mainly due to lower exports of Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons (LNG, condensates, propane, butane, etc.) reaching QR 15.8 billion (approximately) in April 2024, i.e. decrease of 15.0%, Petroleum oils & oils from bituminous minerals (crude) reaching QR 4.9 billion nearly, decrease by 1.8%, and decrease in the Petroleum oils & oils from bituminous minerals (not crude) reaching 2.3 billion 10.6%.
In April 2024, China was at the top of the countries of destination of Qatar’s exports with close to QR 5.2 billion, a share of 18.9% of total exports, followed by South Korea with almost QR 4.2 billion and a share of 15.4%, and India with about QR 3.0 billion, a share of 10.8%.
Year on year (April 2024 vs. April 2023), the group “Motor Cars & Other Motor Vehicles for the Transport of Persons” was at the top of the imported group of commodities, with QR 0.7 billion, showing an increase of 65.3%. In second place was “Electrical Apparatus for Line Telephony/Telegraphy, Telephone Sets Etc.; Parts Thereof” with QR 0.35 billion, increase by 51.1%. and in third place “Parts of Aeroplanes or Helicopters” with QR 0.29 billion, showing an increase of 43.4%.
In April 2024, United States of America was the leading country of origin of Qatar’s imports with about QR 1.5 billion, a share of 14.8% of the imports, followed by China with QR 1.3 billion almost, a share of 13.2%, and Japan with QR 0.6 billion, a share of 6.2%.
