Qatar Foreign Trade (October 2021)
According to the figures of The Planning and Statistics Authority for October 2021, the total value of foreign merchandise trade amounted to QR 38.992 bn, showing a y-to-y increase of 65.26 percent compared to QR 23.594 bn in October 2020 and a m-to-m increase of 5.85 percent compared to QR 36.837 bn in the previous month.
In October, the total exports of goods (including exports of goods of domestic origin and re-exports) amounted to around QR 30.088 bn, showing a sharp increase of 96.38 percent compared to QR 15.321 bn in October last year and an increase of 7.28 percent compared to QR 28.047 bn in September 2021.
The imports of goods in the said month amounted to around QR 8.904 billion, showing an increase of 7.63 percent on a year-to-year basis compared to QR 8.273 bn in October 2020, and an increase of 1.30 percent compared to QR 8.790 bn in September 2021.
Therefore, the country’s foreign merchandise trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports, amounted to QR 21.184 bn, showing an increase of 200 percent compared to QR 7.048 bn in October 2020, while on a month-to-month base it increased by 10 percent.
Table (1) Trade balance for October 2021 compared to September 2021 and October 2020 (Value in QR billion)
Table (1) Trade balance for October 2021 compared to September 2021 and October 2020 (Value in QR billion)
Graph (1): Foreign trade in October on m-to-m & y-to-y basis
(Value in QR billion)
Major Trade Partners According to Foreign Trade – October
In October, China was at the top of the countries of destination of Qatar’s foreign trade with about QR 4.964 billion, a share of 12.7 percent of the state’s total foreign trade.
Major Trade Partners According to Exports – October
In October, India was at the top of the countries of destination of Qatar’s exports with close to QR 4.086 billion, a share of 13.6 percent of total exports, followed by South Korea with almost QR 3.968 billion and a share of 12.8 percent Japan with about QR 3.619 billion, a share of 12 percent.
China comes in the fourth place with almost QR 3.417 billion, a share of 11.4 percent and UK with about QR 2.495 billion, a share of 8.3 percent.
These five countries received approximately 58 percent of the total value of Qatari exports during the said month.
Table (2): Total exports by Major Countries of Destination- October
Graph (2): Major Trade Partners According to Value of Exports – October
Value of exports in billion
Graph (3): Exports by Major Countries of Destination – September
Share (%) in total
Table (3): Main Groups of Commodities Exported - October
Imports by Major Countries of Destination – October
In October, China was the leading country of origin for Qatar’s imports with about QR 1.547 billion, a share of 17.4 percent of the imports amounted to QR 8.904 billion, followed by the USA with QR 978 million almost, a share of 11 percent, and UK with QR 720 million, a share of 8.1 percent.
India comes in the fourth place with about QR 548 million, a share of 6.2 percent, followed by Italy with QR 507 billion, a share of 5.7 percent of the total value.
The imports of these five countries represented 48.3 percent of the total value of imports during the mentioned month.
Table (4): Imports by Major Countries of Destination- October
Graph (4A): Imports by Major Trade Partners in total – September
Value of Imports in billion
Graph (4A): Imports by Major Trade Partners in total – September
Share (%) in total
Table (5): Main Groups of Commodities Imported – September
Exports of the private sector – September
- In September, the value of private sector exports as per certificates of origin issued by the Chamber stood at to QR 982 billion, showing a month-to-month increase of 164 percent compared to QR 1.886 billion in August, while on a year-to-year basis, it recorded a sharp increase by 357 percent compared to QR 1.090 billion as in September last year.
- The increase of private sector exports in September increased by 155 percent compared to QR 1.954 billion in February 2020, which represented the highest value of exports when imposing precautionary measures at the beginning of the pandemic, and an increase of 771 percent compared to QR 527 million in April 2020, which witnessed the lowest value of exports.
Graph (5) Private sector’s exports during (Sept. 2020 & 2021) and February 2020:
- This growth of private sector exports in September 2021 on a month-to-month base is attributed to the increase in exports through the Unified GCC Model which increased by 774 percent from QR 382 mn in August to QR 3.344 bn in September, while on a y-to-y basis it amounted to QR 207 mn in the same month last year, an increase of increased by 1500 percent.
- Exports through the GPS Model increased by 669 percent on m-to-m basis, while they decreased by 5 percent on y-to-y basis.
- Exports through the General Model decreased by 14 percent on a m-to-m basis, while they increased by 143 percent on a y-to-y basis.
- Exports though the Unified Arab Model grew by 35 percent on a m-to-m basis, and an increase of 48 percent on a y-to-y basis.
- Exports through the Unified Model to Singapore amounted to QR 70 mn, while there are no exports through this model registered in September 2020 or during the last month.
Table (6) Exports of the private sector according to the type of certificate of origin (Sept. 2020, Aug & Sept. 2021):
(Value in million riyals)
Graph (6) Private sector’s exports according to the type of certificate (August & Sept. 2021 and Sept. 2020):
(Value in million riyals)
Exports of the private sector according to the type of commodities
Table (7) Exports of private sector according to commodities (Sept. 2020, Aug. & Sept. 2021)
(Value in million riyals)
Data of table (7) showed that:
- In September 2021, the private sector’s exports of Essential and Industrial Oils exports increased sharply by 565 percent on a month-to-month basis and by 1084 percent on a year-to-year basis.
- Aluminum exports decreased by 25.9 on a month-to-month basis, and by 25.4 percent on a year-to-year basis.
- Chemical substances exports decreased by 44 percent on a month-to-month basis, while they grew by 97.7 percent on a year-to-year basis.
- Lotrene exports increased by 26 percent on a month-to-month basis and by 113.8 percent on a year-to-year basis.
- Chemical fertilizers exports amounted to QR 106.46 mn in September, while there are no exports registered in August 2021 or September 2021.
- Paraffin exports grew by 124.4 percent on a month-to-month basis and 4.8 percent on a year-to-year basis.
- Industrial Gases exports sharply decreased by 83.9 percent on a month-to-month basis and by 73.6 percent on a year-to-year basis.
- Petrochemicals decreased by 24.3 percent on a month-to-month basis, while they increased by 35.4 percent on a year-to-year basis.
- Steel exports increased by 511 percent on a month-to-month basis and by 81.2 percent on a year-to-year basis.
- Overall, the total value of private sector exports grew by 183.8 on a month-to-month basis and by 309.6 percent on a year-to-year basis.
Graph (5) Exports of private sector according to commodities (Sept. 2020, Aug. & Sept. 2021)
(Value in million riyals)
Destinations of private-sector exports in terms of the economic blocs
Table (8) Destinations of the private sector exports as per economic blocs and groupings -September 2021
Graph (7) Percentage of private-sector exports according to economic blocs & groupings – September 2021
As for economic blocs and groupings, GCC states were at the top of economic blocs that received exports of private sector amounted to QR 3,357.89 million with a share of 67.4 percent of the total value, followed by Asian countries excluding GCC states with a share of 25.4 percent with exports of QR 1,263.81 million.
In third place came the group of EU states, with exports totaling QR 221.2 million representing 4.45 percent of the total value, followed by Arab countries excluding Arab countries excluding GCC states that received 109.1 million, a share of 2.19 percent and African Countries Group excluding Arab countries with exports amounted to QR 23.96 million, or a share of 0.48 percent of the total exports.
Other American Countries came in the sixth place with exports amounted to 3.12 million, or a share of 0.06 percent, followed by Other European Countries Group which received exports worth of QR 2.67 million, USA which received exports worth of QR 0.88 mn, or a share of 0.02 percent and Oceania which received exports worth of QR 0.37 mn, or a share of 0. 01 percent
Exports of the private sector as per major destinations – September 2021:
Table (10) Exports by major trade partners – September 2021
Graph (9) Major trade partners of the private sector’s exports – September 2021
In September 2021, Oman was at the top of the countries of destination of private sector exports with close to QR 3,286.49 million, a share of 66 percent of the total exports.
It is followed by Turkey with almost QR 386.81 million and a share of 7.8 percent and India with about QR 383.42 million, a share of 7.7 percent.
Singapore came in fourth place with almost QR 198.47 million, a share of 4 percent and Germany with exports amounted to about QR 188.14 million, a share of 3.8 percent.
The value of private sector exports to these countries represented 89.2 percent of the total value of exports during the same month.
