Qatar's commodity trade balance surged to QR15.5bn last September, up by QR 3.1bn, or 25.6%, compared to the same month last year, and a decrease of 11.8% compared to August, 2017.
In its preliminary report on foreign trade statistics for September, the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics indicated that the value of total Qatari exports (including those of local origin and re-exports) amounted to QR 26.8bn, an increase of 30.2% compared to the same month of last year, and up 1.5% from August this year.
The increase in the value of commodity imports reached about QR11.4bn compared to the same period last year, and by 27.7% compared to August this year, according to MDPS data.
In comparison to September last year, exports of "gases and other hydrocarbons" increased to QR16.8bn, an increase of 47.4%. Exports of "oils and oils obtained from non-ferrous mineral raw materials" increased by 55.3%, recording about QR 2.6bn, while the value of "oils and oils of raw materials of the continental crude" decreased by 6.4% to QR 4.2bn.
Japan was the top exports destination country for Qatar last September, accounting for about QR4.7bn, or 17.5%, of the total value, followed by South Korea at about QR4.2bn, or 15.7%, and India at QR4bn, or 15.1%.
On imports side, the US topped the list of countries of origin during September this year at a value of about QR4bn, or 35.3%, of the total value of commodity imports, followed by China at QR1.1bn, or 10%, followed by Germany with a value of QR0.7bn, or 6.5%.