The merchandise trade balance of the State of Qatar, which represents the difference between total exports and imports during the month of last September, achieved a surplus of 17.7 billion riyals, a decrease of 2.13 billion riyals, or 10.7 percent on an annual basis, compared to the same month in 2023, and by approximately 2.08 billion riyals, i.e. A rate of 10.5 percent compared to August 2024.
A statement by the National Planning Council stated today that the value of total Qatari exports (which include exports of local origin and re-exports) amounted to approximately 27.6 billion riyals, a decrease of 5.7 percent compared to data for September 2023, and a decrease of 7.9 percent compared to August 2024.
On the other hand, the value of merchandise imports increased during the month of September 2024, reaching about 9.9 billion riyals, an increase of 4.9 percent compared to data for September 2023, and a decrease of 2.8 percent compared to August 2024.
In comparison between September 2024 and the same month of 2023, the value of exports of “petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons,” which represents (liquefied natural gas, condensates, propane, butane, etc..), decreased to about 16.7 billion riyals, or by 0.1 percent, and the value of “petroleum oils and lubricants” decreased. “Raw continental mineral materials” amounted to approximately 3.7 billion riyals, by 31.3 percent, and the value of exports of “petroleum oils and oils obtained from non-raw continental mineral materials” decreased to approximately 2.5 billion riyals, or 21.5 percent.
In terms of exports according to the main destination countries, China ranked first among the destination countries for Qatar’s exports during the month of September 2024, with a value of approximately 5.6 billion riyals, or 20.3 percent of the total value of Qatari exports, followed by South Korea, with a value of approximately 3 billion riyals, or 20.3 percent of the total value of Qatari exports. 10.8 percent of the total value of exports, then India with a value of approximately 2.9 billion riyals, or 10.4 percent.
Comparing the month of September 2024 with data for September 2023, the group “Other parts for regular aircraft or helicopters” came at the top of the list of merchandise imports, with a value of approximately 0.4 billion riyals, a decrease of 10.6 percent, followed by the group “Jet turbines, propellant turbines, and gas turbines.” “Others and their parts” with a value of 0.3 billion riyals, a decrease of 52 percent, and a group of “medicines mixed or not mixed in their dosages or forms” with a value of 0.2 billion riyals, an increase of 37.3 percent.
In terms of imports according to the main countries of origin, China ranked first among the countries of origin for imports from the State of Qatar during the month of September 2024, with a value of approximately 1.7 billion riyals, or 17.5 percent of the total value of merchandise imports, then the United States of America, with a value of 1.1 billion riyals, or 10.9 percent. Followed by Japan, with a value of 0.6 billion riyals, or 5.9 percent.