The country’s merchandise trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports during the month of May, achieved a surplus of 18.2 billion riyals, recording a decrease of 16 billion riyals, or 46.8 percent, compared to data for the same month of the previous year 2022, and a decrease of approximately 3.8 billion riyals, i.e. It is 17.2 percent, compared to April 2023.
And according to the data of the Planning and Statistics Authority, the total Qatari exports (which include exports of local origin and re-exports) amounted to approximately 27.8 billion riyals, a decrease of 35.3 percent, compared to data for May 2022, and a decrease of 9.4 percent compared to April 2023.
On the other hand, the value of merchandise imports increased during May 2023, to reach about 9.6 billion riyals, an increase of 9.5 percent compared to data for May 2022, and an increase of 10.4 percent compared to April 2023.
The Planning and Statistics Authority attributed the decrease in the value of commodity exports last May compared to the same month of 2022, to the decline in the value of exports of “oil gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons”, which represent (liquefied natural gas, condensate, propane, butane, etc..) to reach about 17.3 billion riyals, by a percentage 38.2 percent, and the value of “oil oils and oils obtained from bituminous mineral raw materials” decreased to approximately 4.5 billion riyals, or 20.8 percent, and the value of exports of “oil oils and oils obtained from non-raw bituminous mineral materials” decreased to about 2.0 billion riyals, or 41.1 percent. .
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 May 2023, with a value of approximately 4.6 billion riyals, or 16.7 percent of the total value of Qatari exports, followed by South Korea, with a value of approximately 3.6 billion riyals, or 12.8 percent. percent of the total value of exports, then India, with a value of approximately 3.1 billion Qatari riyals, or 11.1 percent.
