The surplus of the Qatari trade balance in the first quarter of this year increased by 19 percent on an annual basis, to 39.9 billion riyals.
The Planning and Statistics Authority attributed the reason for the increase in the value of exports during the first quarter of this year compared to the first quarter of 2020 to an increase in exports of mineral fuels, lubricants and similar materials, with a value of 2.8 billion riyals (770 million dollars), or 5.5 percent, chemicals and their products worth 1.6 billion riyals (440 million dollars), and 37.2 percent, machinery and transport equipment.
The value of exports (domestic goods and re-exports) increased during the first three months of this year by 7.5 percent to reach 64 billion riyals, supported by the increase in exports of mineral fuels, lubricants and similar materials, and chemicals. While the value of Qatari imports amounted to 24 billion riyals, i.e. a decline of 7.3% year-on-year, due to the impact of the decrease in imports of machinery and transport equipment by 15.3%, raw materials inedible by 29.2%, and manufactured goods by 9.1%.
Asian countries dominated the first place in terms of destination countries for Qatari exports during the first quarter by 82 percent, as well as for countries of origin of imports by 40 percent.
Source (Al-Raya Qatari newspaper, Edited)
