The Planning and Statistics Authority has released preliminary figures of the value of exports of domestic goods, re-exports, and imports for January 2020. A brief analysis of the data is given below:
In January 2020, the total exports of goods (including exports of goods of domestic origin and re-exports) amounted to around QR 22.4 billion, showing a decrease of 9.0% compared to January 2019, and decrease of 5.0% compared to December 2019.
On other hand, the imports of goods in January 2020 amounted to around QR 9.9 billion, showing an increase of 11.9% over January 2019. However, on a month on month (M-o-M) basis the imports increase by 6.4%.
In January 2020, the foreign merchandise trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports, showed a surplus of QR 12.5 billion almost, i.e. a decrease of about QR 3.3 billion or 20.7% compared to January 2019, And decreased by nearly QR 1.8 billion or 12.4% compared to December 2019.
The year on year (January 2020 to January 2019) decrease in total exports was mainly due to lower exports of Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons (LNG, condensates, propane, butane, etc.) reaching QR 15.1 billion approximately in January 2020, i.e. a decrease of 6.8%, Petroleum oils & oils from bituminous minerals (crude) reaching QR 3.2 billion nearly, decreased by 15.7%, and decrease in the Petroleum oils & oils from bituminous minerals (not crude) reaching QR 1.2 billion, decreased by 26.1%
In January 2020, Japan was at the top of the countries of destination of Qatar’s exports with close to QR 4.3 billion, a share of 19.1% of total exports, followed by China with almost QR 3.6 billion and a share of 16.1 %, South Korea with about QR 3.3 billion, a share of 14.7%.
During January 2020, the group of "Motor Cars & Other Motor Vehicles for the Transport of Persons" was at the top of the imported group of commodities, with QR 0.4 billion, showing an increase of 25.2% compared to January 2019. In second place was "Parts of Balloons Etc.; Parts of Aircraft, Spacecraft Etc" with QR 0.39 billion, showing an increase of 33.2% and in third place was “Gold (incl. gold plated with platinum) unwrought or in Semimnfr or in powder form” with QR 0.2 billion, increase of 48.6%.
In January 2020, China was the leading country of origin of Qatar’s imports with about QR 2.0 billion, a share of 19.7% of the imports, followed by United State of America with QR 1.5 billion almost, a share of 15.7%, and Germany with QR 0.7 billion, a share of 7.3%.
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