Monthly Economic Newsletter | September 2021
Qatar Foreign Trade (September 2021)
Qatar Foreign Trade (July 2021)
According to the figures of The Planning and Statistics Authority for July 2021, the total value of foreign merchandise trade amounted to QR 35.34 billion, showing an increase of 5.2 percent compared to QR 33.58 bn in June and a significant increase of 68.7 percent compared to QR 20.95 bn in July last year.
In July 2021, the total exports of goods (including exports of goods of domestic origin and re-exports) amounted to around QR 27.47 bn, showing a sharp increase of 101.9 percent compared to QR 13.60 bn in July last year and an increase of 8.7 percent compared to QR 25.27 bn in June 2021.
The imports of goods in the said month amounted to around QR 7.87 billion, recording a decrease of 5.3 percent compared to QR 8.31 bn in June, while they increased by 7.1 percent on a year-to-year basis.
Therefore, the country’s foreign merchandise trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports, showed a surplus of QR 19.6 billion almost, recording a decrease of 15.5 percent compared to the previous month, while on a yearly base it increased by 213 percent.
Table (1) Trade balance for June & July (Value in QR billion)
Major Trade Partners According to Foreign Trade – July 2021
In July 2021, China was at the top of the countries of destination of Qatar’s foreign trade with about QR 5.65 billion, a share of 15.98 percent of the state’s total foreign trade.
Major Trade Partners According to Exports – July 2021
In July 2021, China was at the top of the countries of destination of Qatar’s exports with close to QR 4.338 billion, a share of 15.79 percent of total exports, followed by South Korea with almost QR 3.881 billion and a share of 14.13 percent and Japan with about QR 3.878 billion, a share of 14.12 percent.
India comes in the fourth place with almost QR 3.373 billion, a share of 12.28 percent and Singapore with about QR 2.371 billion, a share of 8.63 percent.
These five countries received approximately 64.95 percent of the total value of Qatari exports during the said month.
Table (2): Total exports by Major Countries of Destination- July 2021
Graph (1): Major Trade Partners According to Value of Exports – July 2021
Value of exports in billion
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Graph (2): Exports by Major Countries of Destination – July 2021
Share (%) in total
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Table (3): Main Groups of Commodities Exported - July 2021
Imports by Major Countries of Destination -July 2021
In July 2021, China was the leading country of origin for Qatar’s imports with about QR 1.310 billion, a share of 16.6 percent of the imports amounted to QR 7.87 billion, followed by the USA with QR 0.898 billion almost, a share of 11.4 percent, and UK with QR 0.611 billion, a share of 7.8 percent.
Germany comes in the fourth place with about QR 0.520 billion, a share of 6.6 percent, followed by India with QR 0.492 billion, a share of 6.3 percent of the total value.
The imports of these five countries represented 48.66 percent of the total value of imports during the mentioned month.
Table (4): Imports by Major Countries of Destination- July 2021
Graph (3): Imports by Major Trade Partners in total – July 2021
Value of Imports in billion
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Chart (3): Imports by Major Trade Partner’s share (%) in total – July 2021
Share (%) in total
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Table (5): Main Groups of Commodities Imported – June 2021
Exports of the private sector – July 2021
- Exports of the private sector in July as per certificates of origin amounted to QR 1.71 billion, showing a month-to-month decrease of 33 percent compared to QR 2.54 billion in June, while on a year-to-year basis, they increased by 43 percent compared to QR 1.20 billion as in July 2020.
- Despite the decrease in the value of exports in July, it remains close to its highest level at the beginning of pandemic, which amounted to QR 1.95 bn in February 2020, while it increased sharply with 200 percent compared to the lowest level in April 2020.
Graph (5) Private sector exports from February 2020 to February 2021:
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- This decline of private sector exports in July 2021 on a month-to-month base is attributed to the decrease in exports through all types of certificates except for the Unified Arab Model which decreased by 19 percent.
- Similarly, exports through the General Model decreased by 35 percent and exports through the Unified GCC Model decreased by 17 percent and exports through GSP which decreased by 77 percent.
- While on a year-on-year base, exports of private sector increased through the Arab Unified Model, Unified GCC Model and Singapore by 87 percent, 143 percent, and 25 percent respectively. Exports though the GPS decreased by 90 percent.
Table (6) Exports of the private sector according to the type of certificate of origin (July 2020, June & July 2021)
(Value in million riyals)
Graph (5) Private sector’s exports according to the type of certificate during July & June 2020 and July 2021
(Value in million riyals)
No Data Found
Exports of the private sector according to the type of commodities
Data of table (7) showed that:
- In July 2021, the private sector’s exports of essential oils decreased by 34.8 on month-to-month base, while they increased by 45.8 percent on year-to-year base.
- Aluminum exports decreased by 25 percent on month-to-month base, while they increased by 44.3 percent on year-to-year base.
- Industrial gases exports decreased by 65.8 percent on month-to-month base and by 43.1 percent on year-to-year base.
- Lotrene exports increased by 18.7 percent on -month-to-month base and by 47.6 percent on year-to-year base.
- Paraffin exports increased by 68.7 percent on month-to-month base and 101.7 percent on year-to-year base.
- Chemical fertilizers decreased by 50.9 percent on month-to-month base and by 15 percent on year-to-year base.
- Petrochemicals increased by 7.8 percent on month-to-month base, and 117.3 percent on year-to-year base.
- Steel exports decreased by 99.3 percent on month-to-month base and by 250 percent on year-to-year base.
- Chemical substances decreased slightly on month-to-month base, while they increased by 157 percent on year-to-year base.
Table (7) Exports of private sector according to commodities (July 2020, June & July 2021)
(Value in million riyals)
Graph (5) Private sector’s exports according to the type of certificate during July & June 2020 and July 2021
(Value in million riyals)
No Data Found
Destinations of the private sector’s exports in terms of the economic blocs
Table (8) Destinations of the private sector exports as per economic blocs and groupings - July 2021
Graph (7) Exports of the private sector according to economic blocs & groupings – June 2021
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As for economic blocs and groupings, GCC states bloc were at the top of economic blocs that received exports of private sector amounted to QR 687 million with a share of 40.1 percent of the total value, followed by Asian countries excluding GCC states with a share of 32.2 percent with exports of QR 553 million.
In third place came the group of EU states, with exports totaling QR 362 million representing 21.1 percent of the total value, followed by Arab countries excluding Arab countries excluding GCC states that received 80 million, a share of 4.6 percent, African Countries Group excluding Arab countries with exports amounted to QR 16 million, or a share of 0.9 percent of the total exports and USA with exports amounted to 11 million, or a share of 0.6 percent.
While Other European Countries Group received exports of QR 0.4 million.
Exports of the private sector as per major destinations –June 2021:
Table (10) Exports by major trade partners – July 2021
Graph (8) Major trade partners of the private sector’s exports – July 2021
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In June 2021, Oman was at the top of the countries of destination of private sector’s exports with close to QR 426 million, a share of 24.8 percent of the total exports.
It is followed by India with almost QR 380 million and a share of 22.2 percent and UAE with about QR 244 million, a share of 14.3 percent.
Netherlands came in fourth place with almost QR 189 million, a share of 11 percent and Germany with exports amounted to about QR 118 million, a share of 6.9 percent.
The value of private sector exports to these countries represented 79.2 percent of the total value of exports during the same month.
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