The Planning and Statistics Authority issued its preliminary report on foreign trade statistics for the month of December 2022. The report includes data on exports (of local origin and re-exports) and imports. The following is a brief presentation of the data:
During December 2022, the value of total Qatari exports (which includes exports of local origin and re-exports) amounted to approximately 38.3 billion Qatari riyals, an increase of 7.6% compared to December 2021, and an increase of 3.1% compared to November 2022.
On the other hand, the value of merchandise imports increased during December 2022, to reach about 10.1 billion Qatari riyals, an increase of 1.4% compared to December 2021, and a decrease of 7.7% compared to November 2022.
In light of this, the merchandise trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports during December 2022, achieved a surplus of 28.2 billion Qatari riyals, recording an increase of 2.6 billion Qatari riyals, or 10.0% compared to the same month of the previous year 2021, and an increase of 2.0%. Approximately one billion Qatari riyals, or 7.6%, compared to November 2022.
In comparison between December 2022 and December 2021, the value of exports of "oil gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons", which represent (liquefied natural gas, condensate, propane, butane, etc..) increased to about 26.2 billion Qatari riyals, or by 12.9%, and the value of "petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous mineral raw materials” increased to reach approximately 5.0 billion Qatari riyals, or 12.8%, and the value of exports of “oil oils and oils obtained from non-crude bituminous mineral materials” decreased to about 2.4 billion Qatari riyals, or 12.3%.
In terms of exports according to the main countries of destination, China ranked first in the destination countries for the exports of the State of Qatar during the month of December 2022, with a value of approximately 8.4 billion Qatari riyals, or 21.9% of the total value of Qatari exports, followed by India, with a value of approximately 4.2 billion Qatari riyals, or a percentage of 11.0% of the total value of exports, then South Korea with a value of approximately 3.9 billion Qatari riyals, or 10.2%.
In comparison between December 2022 and December 2021, the group of "jet turbines and propeller turbines, other gas turbines and their parts" came at the top of the list of commodity imports, with a value of 0.9 billion Qatari riyals, an increase of 3.5%, followed by the group of "cars and other vehicles designed mainly for the transport of persons” with a value of QR 0.5 billion, an increase of 8.4%, and a group of “other parts for regular aircraft or helicopters”, with a value of approximately QR 0.3 billion, a decrease of 2.0%.
In terms of imports according to the main countries of origin, the United States of America ranked first in the countries of origin for the imports of the State of Qatar during December 2022, with a value of approximately 2.0 billion Qatari riyals, or 19.7% of the total value of merchandise imports, then China, with a value of 1.4 billion Qatari riyals, or 14.3 percent. %, followed by Italy with a value of 0.9 billion Qatari riyals, or 9.0%.