Doha: Qatar’s foreign merchandise trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports, showed a surplus of QR36.6bn in May 2022, registering an increase of about QR20.0bn or 120.1 percent compared to the corresponding period last year (May 2021). When compared month-on-month (M-o-M), the surplus increased by nearly QR2.4bn or 7.0 percent compared to April 2022, according to preliminary figures released by the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) yesterday.
In May 2022, the total exports of goods including exports of goods of domestic origin and re-exports amounted to around QR45.3bn, showing an increase of 81.9 percent compared to May 2021, and an increase of 4.3 percent compared to April 2022.
On the other hand, the imports of goods in May 2022 amounted to around QR8.8bn, showing an increase of 5.5 percent compared to May 2021, and a decrease of 5.6 percent compared to April 2022.
The year-on-year (May 2022 vs. May 2021) increase in total exports was mainly due to higher exports of Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons (LNG, condensates, propane, butane, and others) reaching QR30.3bn approximately in May 2022, an increase of 116.2 percent, Petroleum oils & oils from bituminous minerals (crude) reaching QR5.6bn nearly, increased by 39.5 percent, and increase in the Petroleum oils & oils from bituminous minerals (not crude) reaching QR3.3bn, increased by 36.5 percent.
In May 2022, China was at the top of the countries of destination of Qatar’s exports with close to QR7.0bn, a share of 15.5 percent of total exports, followed by India with almost QR5.4bn and a share of 11.9 percent, and the United Kingdom with about QR4.7bn, a share of 10.3 percent.
During May 2022, the group of “Motor Cars & Other Motor Vehicles for The Transport of Persons” was at the top of the imported group of commodities, with QR400m, showing a decrease of 6.7 percent.
In second place was “Electrical Apparatus for Line Telephony/Telegraphy, Telephone Sets and others; Parts Thereof” with QR257m, showing an increase of 24.2%, and in third place was “Parts of Balloons: Parts of Aircraft, spacecraft” with QR254m, an increase of 38%.
