File picture used for representation.
Doha: Qatar's commodity trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports, recorded a surplus of QR14.9 billion during December 2017, recording an increase of QR 4.2 billion, or 39.1 percent, compared to the same month of 2016, and an increase of QR 2.1 billion , almost 16.1 percent compared to last November.
This came in the preliminary report on foreign trade statistics for December 2017, issued by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics on a monthly basis, and includes data on exports (of local origin and re-export) and imports.
According to the report, the value of total Qatari exports (including exports of domestic origin and re-exports) reached QR 25.9 billion in December 2017, an increase of 34.5 percent compared to December 2016, an increase of 19.0 percent compared to November, 2017.
On the other hand, the value of commodity imports during December 2017 reached QR 11.0 billion, 28.8 percent compared to December 2016, and rose by 23.1 percent compared to November 2017.
In comparison to December 2016, the value of exports of "other oil and hydrocarbon gases" (LNG, condensates, propane, butane, etc.) increased to about QR14.3 billion and by 21.2%, "oil oils and mineral oils to reach QR 6.5 billion and 90.7 percent. The value of exports of "oil oils and oils obtained from non-ferrous mineral raw materials" increased to QR 1.7 billion and 80.8 percent.
In terms of exports by major destination countries, Japan was the top destination for Qatar's exports in December 2017, with a value of QR 5.0 billion, accounting for 19.3 percent of the Qatari total exports, followed by South Korea at QR 3.8 billion, or 14.7 percent Of the total value of exports, followed by India at about QR 3.3 billion , or 12.7 percent.
In December 2017, the group of "cars designed to transport people" came at the top of the list of goods imports, which amounted to about QR 0.4 billion a decrease of 44.7 percent compared with December 2016, followed by the group "telephone or telegram ), including the network conveyors and parts thereof, increased to QR 0.4 billion, an increase of 62.5 percent, followed by the group of "jet turbines, boosters, other gas turbines and their parts" by QR 0.3 billion, a decrease of 43.9 percent.
In terms of imports the United States topped the list of countries of origin for Qatar's imports during December 2017, with a value of QR 3.2 billion, 28.7 percent of the total value of goods imports, China with QR 1.5 billion , or 13.6 percent. , followed by Germany with a value of QR 0.7 billion , or 6.3 percent.
