22/10/2017
Sheikh Khalifa: Exports rise despite siege assured confidence in national economy
QR 1.6 bn non-oil exports in September
2155 Certificates of Origin issued and Qatari products reached 52 countries
Oman tops Qatar’s trading partners with QR 700 m
Sharqi: New facilitations support exports growth
The total value of Qatar’s non-oil exports in September 2017 reached QR 1.570 billion compared to QR 1.796 billion in August, recording a decrease of 12.6 % and to QR 1.570 billion in September 2016 recording an increase of 48.7%, the monthly report of Qatar Chamber on the foreign trade of the private sector published on Thursday (19th September) shows.
The total value of nine months of 2017 touched QR 13.3 billion.
The report, which was prepared based on certificates of origin issued by Qatar Chamber’s Research & Studies Dept. and Member Affairs Dept. last May, pointed out that 2155 certificates of origin were issued during the same month.
Commenting on the report, Qatar Chamber chairman HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani praised the substantial rise in exports to normal levels affirms that the unfair siege imposed on Qatar couldn’t stop or hinder the export processes for the Qatari private sector due to the robustness of economy, wise governmental policies and world’s confidence in the national economy.
While non-oil exports dropped in June, Sheikh Khalifa said “sound planning” and “strong external relations,” along with the “significant efforts made at all levels” enabled Qatar to overcome the repercussions of the siege “rapidly.”
He added that exports of July, August and September achieved substantial growth to higher levels before the siege.
QC’s Director General Saleh bin Hamad Al Sharqi praised the huge surge in Qatar’s exports in spite of the unfair siege imposed on Qatar and obstacles set by the embargo states. He also paid tribute to the continuation of exports growth in the third month in a row in rates equal those before the siege or even higher in some months.
Al Sharqi noted that Qatar provided host of facilitations and incentives to urge national and foreign investors to establish productive enterprises to produce all goods and products which were imported by the blocking countries with a view to achieve the self-sufficiency and exporting any surplus of production.
He pointed out that the chamber is currently preparing a booklet includes a biannual bulletin on the Qatar’s non-oil exports, which reviews statistics of exports during the first half of 2017.
52 Countries
The report said that Qatar’s non-oil exports during September were distributed to about 52 countries compared to 58 last month.
Countries receiving Qatar’s non-oil exports included 10 Arab countries and GCC , 14 European countries including Turkey, 16 Asian countries (excluding Arab countries), 10 African countries (excluding Arab countries) and 2 countries of North and South Americas.
Trade Partners
As in August, Oman was Qatar’s top non-oil exports destination in September accounting for QR 700.29 million or 44.6% of the total exports in the month. It is followed by Hong Kong with almost QR 127.98 million or 8.2% and Germany with QR 113.11 million or 7.2 percent.
Turkey comes in the fourth place with almost QR 95 million or 6.1 percent followed by Philippines with QR 81.81 OR 5.2 percent.
USA comes in the sixth place followed by Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Singapore and India.
It is clear that 90.2 % of the total value of exports were received by the first ten countries abovementioned.
Economic blocs
According to the report, it is clear that GCC ( Kuwait and Oman) come a first destination of Qatari exports of about 45.4% of the total exports with QR 712.844million. Most of these exports were received by Oman.
Asian countries excluding Arab countries come in the second place. They imported QR 499.198 million which represents 31.8% of the total non-oil exports.
In the third place, European countries including Turkey receiving QR 230.893 million or 14.7% of the total value. North America comes in the fourth place receiving QR73.224m or 4.7%.
Arab countries come in the fifth place excluding GCC with total exports of QR 44.856 followed by African countries which received QR 8.61m.
Nine months
The report shows that total values of non-oil exports in January was QR 1400m , February QR1830m, March QR1830m, April QR1328m, May QR1423m, June QR793.7m, July QR1328m, August QR 1796m and in September QR 1570m.
The total value of exports in the nine months of 2017 reaches QR 13.248b.
Main Exports
Aluminum alloys, bars and molds topped the non-oil exports in the third month in a row with total value of QR 417.6 million or 26.6%, whereas gas oils come in the second place with QR303m OR 19.3%.
Iron grids, angles and poles come in the third place with almost QR 240 million or 15.3% followed by helium gas with almost QR106.6m followed by chemical fertilizers with QR 74m and lotrene with almost QR 60.8 million followed by paraffin, polyethylene, chemical substances and plastic rolls.
It is worth mentioning that these ten goods represent 84.5% of the total value of exports in September.
