The Economic Newsletter | November 2021

Qatar Foreign Trade (September 2021)

According to the figures of The Planning and Statistics Authority for September 2021, the total value of foreign merchandise trade amounted to QR 36.847 bn, showing an increase of 4.1 percent compared to QR 35.394 bn in the previous month and a significant increase of 80.4 percent compared to QR 20.421 bn in September 2020.

In September, the total exports of goods (including exports of goods of domestic origin and re-exports) amounted to around QR 28.047 bn, showing a sharp increase of 108.9 percent compared to QR 13.429 bn in September last year and an increase of 2.8 percent compared to QR 27.296 bn in August 2021.

The imports of goods in the said month amounted to around QR 8.790 billion, showing an increase of 8.5 percent compared to QR 8.098 bn in August, and an increase of 25.7 percent on a year-to-year basis.

Therefore, the country’s foreign merchandise trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports, amounted to QR 19.257 bn, showing an increase of 199.1 percent compared to QR 6.437 bn in September 2020, while on a month-to-month base it increased by 0.31 percent.

Table (1) Trade balance for September & August 2021 and September 2020 (Value in QR billion)

Graph (1): Foreign trade in September on m-to-m & y-to-y basis

(Value in QR billion)

No Data Found

Major Trade Partners According to Foreign Trade – September
In September, China was at the top of the countries of destination of Qatar’s foreign trade with about QR 5.838 billion, a share of 15.8 percent of the state’s total foreign trade.

Major Trade Partners According to Exports – September
In September, China was at the top of the countries of destination of Qatar’s exports with close to QR 4.240 billion, a share of 15.1 percent of total exports, followed by India with almost QR 3.582 billion and a share of 12.8 percent and South Korea with about QR 3.461 billion, a share of 12.3 percent.

Japan comes in the fourth place with almost QR 2.607 billion, a share of 9.3 percent and Singapore with about QR 2.088 billion, a share of 7.4 percent.

These five countries received approximately 57 percent of the total value of Qatari exports during the said month.

Table (2): Total exports by Major Countries of Destination- September

Graph (2): Major Trade Partners According to Value of Exports – September

Value of exports in billion

No Data Found

Graph (3): Exports by Major Countries of Destination – September

Share (%) in total

No Data Found

Table (3): Main Groups of Commodities Exported - September

Imports by Major Countries of Destination – September

In September, China was the leading country of origin for Qatar’s imports with about QR 1.598 billion, a share of 18.2 percent of the imports amounted to QR 8.790 billion, followed by the USA with QR 1.087 billion almost, a share of 12.4 percent, and India with QR 0.592 billion, a share of 6.7 percent.

UK comes in the fourth place with about QR 0.540 billion, a share of 6.1 percent, followed by Germany with QR 0.445 billion, a share of 5.1 percent of the total value. 

The imports of these five countries represented 48.49 percent of the total value of imports during the mentioned month.

Table (4): Imports by Major Countries of Destination- September

Graph (4A): Imports by Major Trade Partners in total – September

Value of Imports in billion

No Data Found

Graph (4A): Imports by Major Trade Partners in total – September

Share (%) in total

No Data Found

Table (5): Main Groups of Commodities Imported – September

Exports of the private sector – September

  • In September, the value of private sector exports as per certificates of origin issued by the Chamber stood at to QR 982 billion, showing a month-to-month increase of 164 percent compared to QR 1.886 billion in August, while on a year-to-year basis, it recorded a sharp increase by 357 percent compared to QR 1.090 billion as in September last year.
  • The increase of private sector exports in September increased by 155 percent compared to QR 1.954 billion in February 2020, which represented the highest value of exports when imposing precautionary measures at the beginning of the pandemic, and an increase of 771 percent compared to QR 527 million in April 2020, which witnessed the lowest value of exports.

Graph (5) Private sector’s exports during (Sept. 2020 & 2021) and February 2020:

No Data Found

No Data Found

  • This growth of private sector exports in September 2021 on a month-to-month base is attributed to the increase in exports through the Unified GCC Model which increased by 774 percent from QR 382 mn in August to QR 3.344 bn in September, while on a y-to-y basis it amounted to QR 207 mn in the same month last year, an increase of increased by 1500 percent.
  • Exports through the GPS Model increased by 669 percent on m-to-m basis, while they decreased by 5 percent on y-to-y basis.
  • Exports through the General Model decreased by 14 percent on a m-to-m basis, while they increased by 143 percent on a y-to-y basis.
  • Exports though the Unified Arab Model grew by 35 percent on a m-to-m basis, and an increase of 48 percent on a y-to-y basis.
  • Exports through the Unified Model to Singapore amounted to QR 70 mn, while there are no exports through this model registered in September 2020 or during the last month.

Table (6) Exports of the private sector according to the type of certificate of origin (Sept. 2020, Aug & Sept. 2021):

(Value in million riyals)

Graph (6) Private sector’s exports according to the type of certificate (August & Sept. 2021 and Sept. 2020):

(Value in million riyals)

No Data Found

Exports of the private sector according to the type of commodities

Table (7) Exports of private sector according to commodities (Sept. 2020, Aug. & Sept. 2021)

(Value in million riyals)

Data of table (7) showed that:

  • In September 2021, the private sector’s exports of Essential and Industrial Oils exports increased sharply by 565 percent on a month-to-month basis and by 1084 percent on a year-to-year basis.
  • Aluminum exports decreased by 25.9 on a month-to-month basis, and by 25.4 percent on a year-to-year basis.
  • Chemical substances exports decreased by 44 percent on a month-to-month basis, while they grew by 97.7 percent on a year-to-year basis.
  • Lotrene exports increased by 26 percent on a month-to-month basis and by 113.8 percent on a year-to-year basis.
  • Chemical fertilizers exports amounted to QR 106.46 mn in September, while there are no exports registered in August 2021 or September 2021.
  • Paraffin exports grew by 124.4 percent on a month-to-month basis and 4.8 percent on a year-to-year basis.
  • Industrial Gases exports sharply decreased by 83.9 percent on a month-to-month basis and by 73.6 percent on a year-to-year basis.
  • Petrochemicals decreased by 24.3 percent on a month-to-month basis, while they increased by 35.4 percent on a year-to-year basis.
  • Steel exports increased by 511 percent on a month-to-month basis and by 81.2 percent on a year-to-year basis.
  • Overall, the total value of private sector exports grew by 183.8 on a month-to-month basis and by 309.6 percent on a year-to-year basis.

Graph (5) Exports of private sector according to commodities (Sept. 2020, Aug. & Sept. 2021)

(Value in million riyals)

No Data Found

Destinations of private-sector exports in terms of the economic blocs

Table (8) Destinations of the private sector exports as per economic blocs and groupings -September 2021

Graph (7) Percentage of private-sector exports according to economic blocs & groupings – September 2021

No Data Found

As for economic blocs and groupings, GCC states were at the top of economic blocs that received exports of private sector amounted to QR 3,357.89 million with a share of 67.4 percent of the total value, followed by Asian countries excluding GCC states with a share of 25.4 percent with exports of QR 1,263.81 million.

In third place came the group of EU states, with exports totaling QR 221.2 million representing 4.45 percent of the total value, followed by Arab countries excluding Arab countries excluding GCC states that received 109.1 million, a share of 2.19 percent and African Countries Group excluding Arab countries with exports amounted to QR 23.96 million, or a share of 0.48 percent of the total exports.

Other American Countries came in the sixth place with exports amounted to 3.12 million, or a share of 0.06 percent, followed by Other European Countries Group which received exports worth of QR 2.67 million, USA which received exports worth of QR 0.88 mn, or a share of 0.02 percent and Oceania which received exports worth of QR 0.37 mn, or a share of 0. 01 percent

Exports of the private sector as per major destinations – September 2021:

Table (10) Exports by major trade partners – September 2021

Graph (9) Major trade partners of the private sector’s exports – September 2021

No Data Found