DOHA: Qatar’s trade surplus jumped 7.9 percent in the first quarter (Q1) of this year to QR107.02bn ($29.4bn) over the corresponding period in 2012, preliminary estimates released by the national statistics agency suggest. Exports rose 7.2 percent to QR129.81bn, while imports were QR22.78bn, up 3.9pc over Q1 of last year. Re-exports — clubbed with overall exports — dropped almost 15 percent in the period to QR972m, from QR1.14bn in Q1 of 2013, Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA) said releasing preliminary data. China has emerged as the second largest exporter to Qatar after the US. The imports (of re-exported goods) from the UAE increased by a dramatic 25pc to over QR2bn in comparison to Q1 of 2012. The Peninsula
