Qatar Records QAR 17.7 Billion Surplus of Foreign Merchandise Trade in September 2024

Doha: The National Planning Council (NPC) has released preliminary figures of the value of exports of domestic goods, re-exports, and imports for September 2024. In a statement on Monday, NPC reported that in September 2024, the total exports of goods (including exports of goods of domestic origin and re-exports) amounted to around QAR 27.6 billion, showing a decrease of 5.7 percent compared to September 2023, and a decrease of 7.9 percent compared to August 2024. On other hand, the imports of goods in September 2024 amounted to roughly QAR 9.9 billion, showing an increase of 4.9 percent compared to September 2023, and a decrease by 2.8 percent compared to August 2024. In September 2024, the foreign merchandise trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports, showed a surplus of QAR 17.7 billion almost, i.e., a decrease of about QAR 2.13 billion or 10.7 percent compared to September 2023, and a decrease by about QAR 2.08 billion or 10.5 percent compared to August 2024. The year on year (September 2024 vs. September 2023) decrease in total exports was mainly due to lower exports of Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons (LNG, condensates, propane, butane, etc.) reaching QAR 16.7 billion (approximately) in September 2024, i.e. decrease of 0.1 percent, petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals (crude), reaching about QAR 3.7 billion, decrease by 31.3 percent, and a decrease in the Petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals (not crude) reaching 5.2 billion 21.5 percent. Additionally, in September 2024, China was at the top of the countries of destination of Qatar's exports with close to QAR 5.6 billion, a share of 20.3 percent of total exports, followed by South Korea with almost QAR 3.0 billion and a share of 10.8 percent, and India with about QAR 2.9 billion, a share of 10.4 percent. Year on year (September 2024 vs. September 2023), the group 'Parts of Balloons Etc; Parts of Aircraft; Spacecraft Etc' was at the top of the imported group of commodities, with QAR 0.4 billion, showing a decrease of 10.6 percent. In second place was 'Turbojets, Turbopropellers and Other Gas Turbines; Parts Thereof' with QAR 0.3 billion, a decrease of 52.0 percent. and in third place 'Medicaments Nes, Mixed Or Not, In Dosage Etc. Form' with QAR 0.2 billion, showing an increase of 37.3 percent. In September 2024, China was the leading country of origin of Qatar's imports with about QAR 1.7 billion, a share of 17.5 percent of the imports, followed by US with QAR 1.1 billion almost, a share of 10.9 percent, and Japan with QAR 0.6 billion, a share of 5.9 percent. Source: Qatar News Agency