DOHA: Qatar’s foreign merchandise trade surplus (the difference between total exports and imports) was at QR9.3bn for December 2015. It showed a decline of QR11.7bn, or 55.8 percent, compared to December 2014, said the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics yesterday. The surplus decreased by QR1.6bn, or 14.8 percent, compared to November 2015.
In December 2015, the total exports of goods (including exports of goods of domestic origin and re-exports) amounted to QR20.3bn, showing a decrease of 36.9 percent compared to December 2014 and a fall of 4.7 percent compared to November 2015.
Imports of goods in December 2015 amounted to QR11bn, showing a decrease of 1 percent over December 2014. However, on a month-on-month basis, the imports increased by 6 percent. The year-onyear decrease in total exports was mainly due to lower exports of petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons (LNG, condensates, propane, butane, etc.) reaching QR12.6bn in December 2015, i.e. a decrease of 43.8 percent, petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals (crude) reaching QR2.2bn, decreased by 50.6 percent, as well as the petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals (not crude) reaching QR1bn, decreased by 12.5 percent.
In December 2015, Japan was at the top of the countries of destination of Qatar’s exports with QR4.4bn, a share of 21.9 percent of total exports, followed by and India with QR2.6bn and a share of 12.9 percent, South Korea with QR2.5bn, a share of 12.4 percent. During December 2015, Motor cars and other passenger vehicles was at the top of the imported group of commodities, with QR 1.1bn, showing a decrease of 2.1 percent compared to December 2014. In second place were parts of aircraft and helicopters etc with QR0.9bn, showing an increase of 21.4 percent, and in third place were electrical apparatus for line telephony/telegraphy, telephone sets, etc; parts thereof with QR0.3bn, decreased by 24.1 percent.
In December 2015, China was the leading country of origin of Qatar’s imports with QR1.3bn, a share of 11.4 percent of the imports, followed by United States of America with QR1.2bn, a share of 10.8 percent, and United Kingdom with QR0.9bn, a share of 8.5 percent.
