The total value of Qatar’s non-oil exports in October 2017 reached QR1.7bn, registering a remarkable increase of 8.59 percent compared to QR1.57bn in September.
When compared on year-on-year basis, the value of non-oil exports in October 2017 was 3.7 percent higher compared to QR1.64bn in October 2016, according to the Qatar Chamber monthly report on the foreign trade of the private sector.
The report , which was prepared based on certificates of origin issued by Qatar Chamber’s Research & Studies Department and Member Affairs Department last May, pointed out that 2,928 certificates of origin were issued in the same month. Commenting on the report, Qatar Chamber Director-General, Saleh bin Hamad Al Sharqi, said industrial sector still tops other non-oil sectors.
Al Sharqi called upon businessmen and foreign investors to invest more in this vital sector in order to build a very robust industrial base which supports the country’s strategy to diversify income on one hand, and to achieve the self-sufficiency and expand imports on the other hand.
He affirmed the chamber’s efforts exerted to achieve this objective through all possible mechanisms and ways including organising the ‘Made in Qatar’ exhibition in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and Industry from December 14-17, 2017. The exhibition aims at promoting locally-manufactured product and to present its high quality and the increasing demand for local products in the world markets.
Al Sharqi noted that the fifth month of the siege (October) saw an increase of Qatar’s non-oil exports. This emphasised that the siege has no impact on our economy and our national companies have successfully delivered their products to the world markets despite this unfair siege, he said.
The report said that Qatar’s non-oil exports in October were exported to about 57 countries compared to 52 last month. Countries receiving Qatar’s non-oil exports included 11 Arab countries and GCC, 13 European countries including Turkey, 16 Asian countries (excluding Arab countries), 12 African countries (excluding Arab countries), four countries of North and South Americas and Australia.
Oman was Qatar’s top non-oil exports destination in October accounting for QR965.83m, or 56.64 percent, of the total exports in the month.
It was followed by Hong Kong with almost QR139.67m, or 8.19 percent, and Turkey with QR93.92m, or 5.5 percent. China came in fourth place with almost QR63.13m, or 3.7 percent followed by Singapore with QR62.7m, or 3.67 percent.
Bangladesh was in the sixth place followed by Germany, India, Korea, and Kuwait.
“It is clear that 88.1 percent of the total value of exports were received by the first ten countries abovementioned,” the QC report said.
The report further said that the GCC (Kuwait and Oman) was a first destination of Qatari exports amounting to 57.76 percent of the total exports with QR984.9m. Most of these exports were received by Oman.
Asian countries excluding Arab countries come in the second place. They imported goods worth QR428.5m which represents 25.13 percent of the total non-oil exports. In the third place, European countries including Turkey received QR169.9m, or 9.96 percent, of the total value.
Arab Countries bloc, excluding GCC, came in the fourth place receiving QR80.14m or 4.75 percent. North America countries come in the fifth place with total exports of QR22.31m most of them went to the US, followed by African countries excluding Arab countries which received QR17.23m. The report said that the total value of non-oil exports during the ten months of 2017 reached QR14.95bn.
