Qatar’s private sector exported QR1.95bn worth of goods in February 2020, registering a 6% growth over QR1.84bn in January, Qatar Chamber reported in its April issue of Al Moltaqa, a monthly economic magazine.
According to the report, the aluminium group topped the list of exports in February, registering a 33% month-on-month (m-o-m) growth from QR311mn to QR415mn, followed by the steel group, which was down 39% m-o-m from QR398mn to QR244mn.
Third on the list are essential oils exports, which amounted to QR166mn compared to QR82mn in January. Chemical fertilisers came in fourth place, registering the same value recorded in January at QR91mn.
In fifth place is paraffin exports worth QR75mn, which increased 54% compared to QR49mn in January. Helium gas and other industrial gases exports amounting to QR62mn placed sixth on the list with an 8% m-o-m growth, followed by lutreine at QR59mn, up 39% over QR42mn in January.
Chemicals placed eighth in the list of exports at QR50mn, registering a 35% m-o-m decrease, followed by petrochemical substances at QR42mn, which was almost the same value in January, the report indicated.
Al Moltaqa also provided an analysis of Qatar’s foreign trade in February 2020, and the private sector’s trade based on the certificates of origin issued by the chamber to exporting companies.
Citing figures from the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA), the report said the total value of foreign merchandise trade in February worth QR29bn dropped 10.2% compared to QR32.3bn from the previous month.
In February 2020, total exports (including exports of goods of domestic origin and re-exports) amounted to around QR21.3bn, while the Qatari imports during the same month amounted to about QR7.7bn, said the report. 
“Therefore, the foreign merchandise trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports, showed a surplus of QR13.6bn, recording an 8.8% m-o-m increase of QR12.5bn,” it further stated.
During the same period, Japan topped the list of countries of destination with QR3.84bn worth of Qatari exports, or 18.0% of the total exports value. Next is India with QR3.34bn (15.7% of the total exports), followed by South Korea (QR2.82bn, 13.2%), China (QR2.28bn, 10.7%), and Singapore (QR2.21bn, 10.4%).
On imports, the US led the list of countries of origin with QR1.07bn or 13.9% of the total imports worth QR7.7bn, followed by China with QR879mn or 11.4%, the UK with QR522mn or 7.9%, India (QR522mn, 6.8%), and Germany (QR408mn, 5.3%). 
The report indicated that exports following the general model reflected the largest value amounting to QR1bn, while the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) showed a total value of about QR466mn.  
Exports of the GCC model showed a value of about QR423mn, while the Arab certificate of origin was valued at QR46mn, and the certificate of unified GCC to Singapore amounted to QR19mn, the report also said.