The State of Qatar's trade balance (the difference between total exports and imports) recorded a surplus of QR12.5bn in November this year, registering a decrease of QR3.5bn, or 21.8% compared to the same month in the previous year 2018, and an increase of approximately QR0.8bn or 6.8%, compared to October 2019.
A statement issued by the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) Saturday indicated that the total value of Qatari exports (including exports of local goods and re-exports) reached last November QR22.2bn, a decrease of 13.0% compared to November of 2018, and an increase of 10.6% compared to October 2019.
According to the statement, the value of merchandise imports increased during November 2019 to reach about QR 9.7bn, an increase of 1.7% compared to November 2018, and an increase of 15.8% compared to October 2019.
In comparison with November 2018, the value of exports of "other oil gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons" representing (LNG, condensate, propane, butane, etc) decreased to about QR14.1bn, by 8.8%, and the value of "oils and oils of ores of continental mineral raw materials" decreased 2.7% to reach about QR4.3bn and the value of exports of "oils and oils obtained from non-continental mineral materials" decreased 47.0% to reach about QR1.1bn.
In terms of exports, Japan ranked first among the destination countries in relation to the exports of the State of Qatar during November 2019, with a value of approximately QR 4.7bn, or 21.3% of the total value of Qatari exports, followed by China with a value of approximately QR 3.3bn, or 15.0% of the total value of exports, then South Korea worth nearly QR 3.2bn, or 14.6%.
During November 2019, the group of "cars and other vehicles designed mainly to transport people" came on top of the list of merchandise imports, amounting to approximately QR0.4bn — an increase of 9.3% compared to November 2018 — followed by the group "parts of regular aircraft and helicopters" with about QR0.4bn — an increase of 28.4%, followed by the group of "electrical appliances for telephone or telegraph wires, including devices that transmit the network, and its parts, "to approximately QR0.3bn — an increase of 40.4%."
On the level of imports according to the main countries of origin, the United States of America ranked first in terms of imports for the State of Qatar during November 2019 with a value of approximately QR2.1bn, or 21.7% of the total value of merchandise imports, then China with a value of QR1.2bn, or 12.0%, followed by the United Kingdom with a value of QR1.0bn, or 9.9%.
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