The country’s merchandise trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports during the month of February, achieved a surplus of QR 22.9 billion, recording an increase of QR 0.7 billion, or 2.9 percent on an annual basis, compared to the same month of the previous year 2022, and a decrease of QR 1.4 billion. Approximately, or 5.7 percent, compared to January 2022.
The data of the Planning and Statistics Authority showed on Wednesday that the value of total Qatari exports (which includes exports of local origin and re-exports) amounted to approximately QR 31.0 billion, a decrease of 2.2 percent compared to February 2022, and a decrease of 8.7 percent compared to January 2023.
The data of the Planning and Statistics Authority attributed the increase in exports to the increase of the value of exports of oil gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons, which represent liquefied natural gas, condensate, propane, butane, etc, to reach about QR 19.6 billion Qatari, or by 3.7 percent.
The value of petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous mineral raw materials decreased to reach nearly QR 4.8 billion, or 11.9 percent , and the value of exports of oil oils and oils obtained from non-crude bituminous mineral materials decreased to about QR 2.4 billion, or 18.5 percent.
On the other hand, the value of merchandise imports decreased during the month of February, to reach about QR 8.1 billion, a decrease of 14.3 percent, compared to February 2022, and a decrease of 16.4 percent compared to January 2023.
The group of jet turbines and propeller turbines, other gas turbines and their parts came at the top of the list of commodity imports, with a value of QR 0.6 billion, an increase of 39.5 percent, followed by cars and other vehicles designed mainly for the transport of people, as their value amounted to approximately QR 0.29 billion, an decrease of 40 percent and the group of electrical devices for telephone (telephone) or wired telegraph (telegraph), including devices that transmit the network and its parts with a value of QR 0.27 billion, an increase of 19.7percent.
Asian countries ranked first for the countries of destination for Qatari exports during the month of February, as China, South Korea and India accounted for 48.6 percent of the total exports, while China accounted for the top countries of origin for the imports of the State of Qatar during the month of February 2023 with a rate of 15.6 percent of the total of value of merchandise imports, then USA by 13.1 percent, followed by India by 6.9 percent.
Source: Qatar News Agency