DOHA: Qatar's foreign merchandise trade surplus (the difference between total exports and imports) stood at QR6.3bn in March 2016, showing a decline of 15.3 percent or QR1.1bn compared to February same year.
According to preliminary figures released yesterday by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics, the surplus has shown a decline of 58.7 percent compared to March last year.
The total exports of goods (including exports of goods of domestic origin and re-exports) amounted to QR17.1bn, showing a decrease of 33 percent compared to March 2015. However, total exports increased by 0.4 percent compared to February 2016.
The year-on-year decline in total exports was mainly due to lower exports of Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons such as LNG, condensates, propane, butane, etc reaching QR9.6bn in March 2016, a decrease of 44.6 percent.
Petroleum oils & oils from bituminous minerals (crude) was QR2.3bn, showing a fall of 33.9 percent. Petroleum oils & oils from bituminous minerals (not crude) reached QR0.8bn, reflecting a decline of 37 percent.
The imports of goods in March 2016 amounted to QR10.8bn, showing an increase of 4.7 percent over March 2015. However, on a month on month (M-o-M) basis the imports increased by 12.6 percent.
In March 2016, Japan was at the top of the countries of destination of Qatar's exports with QR3.8bn, a share of 22.1 percent of total exports, followed by South Korea with QR2.4bn and a share of 13.8 percent, India with QR2.1bn, a share of 12.2 percent.
The US was the leading country of origin of Qatar's imports in March, with QR1.4bn, a share of 12.5 percent of the imports, followed by the United Arab Emirates with QR1bn, a share of 9.1 percent, and China with QR0.9bn, a share of 8.7 percent.
During March 2016, motor cars and other passenger vehicles was at the top of the imported group of commodities, with QR0.8bn, showing a decrease of 21.8 percent compared to March 2015.
In second place was parts of aircraft and helicopters etc with QR0.4bn, showing a decrease of 29.7 percent and in third place was electrical apparatus for line telephone sets etc with QR0.3bn, reflecting a decline of 19.3 percent.
© The Peninsula 2016
