Monthly Economic Newsletter | October 2020
Qatar’s Foreign Trade (August 2020)
Trade Balance
According to the figures given by The Planning and Statistics Authority for August 2020, the total the value of foreign merchandise trade statistics amounted to QR 21.1 billion, showing a slight increase of 0.5 % compared to July 2020, which amounted to QR 21 billion.
In August 2020, the total exports of goods (including exports of goods of domestic origin and re-exports) amounted to around QR 14 billion, showing an increase of 2.9 % compared to QR 13.6 billion in July.
On the other hand, the imports of goods in the same month amounted to around QR 7.1 billion, showing a decrease of 4.1 % compared to QR 7.4 billion in July.
Therefore, the country’s trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports, showed a surplus of QR 6.9 billion, recording an increase of 11.3 % compared to QR 6.2 billion in July.
Graph (1): Major Trade Partners According to Value of Exports – August 2020
Value of exports in billion
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Total exports by Major Countries of Destination-August 2020
Share (%) in total
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Table (3): Main Groups of Commodities Exported -August 2020
Imports by Major Countries of Destination -August 2020
In August 2020, USA was the leading country of origin of Qatar’s imports with about QR 1.607 billion, a share of 22.6 % of the total imports amounted to QR 7.1 billion, followed by China with almost QR 0.944 billion, a share of 13.3%, and India with QR 0.4.3 billion, a share of 5.7%.
Germany comes in the fourth place with about QR 0.383 billion, a share of 5.4%, followed by UK with QR 0.347 billion, a share of 4.9% of the total value.
Table (4): Imports by Major Countries of Destination- August 2020
Graph (4): Imports by Major Countries of Destination- August 2020
Value of Imports in billion
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Graph (3): Imports by Major Trade Partners and share (%) in total-August 2020
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Table (5): Main Groups of Commodities Imported – August 2020
Private Sector Exports
Table (6) Exports of the private sector as per certificates of origin
Table (6) Exports of the private sector as per certificates of origin
(Value in million riyals)
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- Private sector exports in August amounted to QR 929 million compared to QR 1202 million, a decrease of 23%.
- Exports through the GCC model certificate of origin form have the largest value in August, increasing 4% m-o-m.
- Exports through GSP, Unified GCC and Unified Arab decreased by 58%, 29% and 14% respectively.
Graph (5) Private sector exports from January to August 2020 (Value in billion)
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Data of graph (5) indicates that private sector exports decreased in August after the rebound it saw in May, June, and July. However, the value of exports in August increased by 70% compared to QR 572 million in April which is the lowest month in 2020, while it decreased by 50% compared to QR 1.95 bn in February which is the highest month.
Exports of private sector as per major destinations - August 2020:
Table (8) Exports by major trade partners - August 2020
Graph (7) Major trade partners of private sector’s exports – August 2020
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In August 2020, India was at the top of the countries of destination of private sector’s exports with close to QR 299mn, a share of 32.1% of the total exports. It was followed by Oman with almost QR 173mn and a share of 18.6 percent, Turkey with about QR 94mn, a share of 10.1 percent.
Netherlands comes in fourth place with almost QR76mn, a share of 8.1 percent, Singapore with about QR 50mn, a share of 5.3 percent, followed by Hong Kong with about QR 39 mn, a share of 4.1 percent and Kuwait with QR 33mn, a share of 3.4 percent.
These seven countries received 82 percent of the total value of private sector exports in August.
Destinations of private sector exports as per economic blocs
Table (9) Destinations of private sector exports as per economic blocs-August 2020
In August 2020, India was at the top of the countries of destination of private sector’s exports with close to QR 299mn, a share of 32.1% of the total exports. It was followed by Oman with almost QR 173mn and a share of 18.6 percent, Turkey with about QR 94mn, a share of 10.1 percent.
Netherlands comes in fourth place with almost QR76mn, a share of 8.1 percent, Singapore with about QR 50mn, a share of 5.3 percent, followed by Hong Kong with about QR 39 mn, a share of 4.1 percent and Kuwait with QR 33mn, a share of 3.4 percent.
These seven countries received 82 percent of the total value of private sector exports in August.
Graph (9) Destinations of private sector exports as per economic blocs-August 2020
No Data Found
Graph (4): Imports by Major Countries of Destination- August 2020
Value of Imports in billion
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