The country's merchandise trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports during the month of January, achieved a surplus of 24.3 billion riyals, recording a decrease of 1.6 billion riyals, or 6.2 percent on an annual basis, compared to the same month of the previous year 2022, and a decrease of 3.9 billion riyals. Approximately, or 14 percent, compared to December 2022.
Today, the data of the Planning and Statistics Authority showed that the value of total Qatari exports (which includes exports of local origin and re-exports) amounted to approximately 34 billion riyals, a decrease of 4.4 percent compared to January 2022, and a decrease of 11.3 percent compared to December 2022.
On the other hand, the value of merchandise imports increased during the month of January, to reach about 9.7 billion riyals, an increase of 0.5 percent compared to January 2022, and a decrease of 3.7 percent compared to December 2022.
With regard to the value of exports last January compared to the same month of the year 2022, the value of exports of "oil gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons", which represent (liquefied natural gas, condensate, propane, butane, etc..) increased to about 22.1 billion riyals, by 0.3 percent, and decreased The value of “Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous mineral raw materials” to reach nearly 5 billion riyals, or 10.4 percent, and the value of exports of “oil oils and oils obtained from non-crude bituminous mineral materials” increased to about 3.2 billion riyals, or 9.6 percent.
China ranked first in the destination countries for the exports of the State of Qatar during January 2023, with a value of approximately 6.3 billion riyals, or 18.4 percent of the total value of Qatari exports, followed by India, with a value of approximately 4.3 billion riyals, or 12.6 percent of the total value of exports, then South Korea, with a value of approximately 3.6 billion riyals, or 10.6 percent.
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 1 billion riyals, an increase of 72 percent, followed by the group of “electrical devices for telephone (telephone) or wired telegraph (telegraph), including devices that transmit the network and its parts” with a value of 500 million riyals, an increase of 29.5 percent, and a group of “cars and other vehicles designed mainly for the transport of people,” as their value amounted to approximately 400 million riyals, an increase of 16.8 percent.
In terms of imports according to the main countries of origin, China ranked first in the countries of origin with regard to the imports of the State of Qatar during the month of January 2023 with a value of approximately 1.5 billion riyals, or 15.8 percent of the total value of merchandise imports, then the United States of America with a value of 1.1 billion riyals, or 10.8 percent. Followed by Italy, with a value of 1 billion riyals, or 10.1 percent.