Qatar beats siege with 35% rise in non-oil exports: Report

OCT 01, 2017

The total value of Qatar’s non-oil exports in August 2017 reached QR1.796 billion compared to QR1.328 billion in July, recording an increase of 35.2 percent, according to the monthly report of Qatar Chamber on the foreign trade of the private sector.

The report, which was prepared based on certificates of origin issued by Qatar Chamber’s Research and Studies Department and Member Affairs Department, showed that 2819 certificates of origin were issued during the same month.

Qatar Chamber Director General Saleh bin Hamad al Sharqi praised the huge surge in Qatar’s exports in spite of the unfair siege imposed on Qatar. He also hailed all local companies which managed to overcome the impact of the blockade.

Al Sharqi noted that the practical response to the unjust blockade is the substantial rise in exports.

He said this success is the fruit of efforts undertaken by all of Qatar’s society and response to the directives of the Emir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and all government and private sector officials.

The report said that Qatar’s non-oil exports during August were distributed to about 58 countries compared to 59 last month. Countries receiving Qatar’s non-oil exports included 13 Arab countries and GCC , 11 European countries including Turkey, 17 Asian countries (excluding Arab countries), 13 African countries (excluding Arab countries) and three countries of North and South Americas and Australia.

As in July, Oman, the Netherlands and Turkey were Qatar’s top non-oil exports destination in August.

Oman was Qatar’s top non-oil exports destination in August, accounting for QR708.98 million or 45 percent of the total exports in the month. It was followed by the Netherlands with about QR169.11 million or 9.4 percent and Turkey with QR145.78 million or 8.1 percent. India comes in the fourth place with about QR 126.32 million or 7 percent followed by Germany with QR112.69 million or 6.3 percent.

About 80 percent of the total value of exports were received by Asian countries.

According to the report, the GCC as an economic block comes as a first destination of Qatari exports accounting for about 40.38 percent of the total exports with QR708.177 million. Most of these exports were to Oman. Asian countries excluding Arab countries come in the second place. They imported goods worth QR492.205 million which represents 27.41 percent of the total non-oil exports.

In the third place, European countries including Turkey received QR471.008 million or 26.23% of the total value. Arab countries came in the fourth place excluding GCC with total exports of QR79.455 million or 1.11 percent
Aluminum alloys, bars and molds topped the non-oil exports with total value of QR479.5 million or 26.7 percent , whereas helium gas and other industrial gases come in the second place with QR393.2 million or 20.2 percent of the total non-oil exports. Gas oils come in the third place with almost QR255.4 million or 14.2 percent followed by iron grids, angles and poles with QR204.2milion and lotrene with almost QR115.2 million followed by polyethylene, chemical fertilizers, chemical substances and plastic rolls.