Mubasher: The Qatari trade surplus surged 32.9% year-on-year to QAR 12.8 billion in November 2017 from QAR 9.6 billion the same period a year earlier, the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics reported on Tuesday.
Trade surplus hike was attributed to the growth of Qatar’s exports, including exports of locally-manufactured goods and re-exports, by 15.9% to QAR 21.8 billion in November versus QAR 17.9 billion in the same month in the previous year.
Oil, gas and hydrocarbons exports jumped by 6.2% to QAR 12.3 billion, while petroleum oils, oils from bituminous minerals (crude), and petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals (not crude) went up 23.5%, and142.8%, respectively, according to the data.
South Korea topped importers of Qatar’s products with QAR 4.2 billion, followed by Japan and India with QAR 3.5 billion and QAR 2.7 billion, respectively.
On the other hand, imports of the world’s biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas declined 2% to QAR 8.9 billion in November from QAR 9.1 billion in the same period last year.
The Development Planning and Statistics Ministry ascribed the fall of Qatar’s imports to the drop in motor cars and other passenger vehicles’ imports by 39.2%.
Chine topped the list of exporting countries to Doha with QAR 1.23 billion, followed by the US and India with QAR 1.21 billion and QAR 530 million, respectively.
The Qatari trade surplus hiked 54.8% month-on-moth in November 2017, encouraged by exports growth of 3.8% and imports drop by 29.6%.
