DOHA: The total value of Qatar’s non-oil exports in 2017 reached QR18.1bn distributed to about 66 countries, according to the Qatar Chamber’s (QC) monthly report on private sector foreign trade.
The report, which was prepared based on certificates of origin issued by the Chamber’s Research & Studies Department and Member Affairs Department last December, pointed out that non-oil exports in December reached QR1.3bn compared to QR1.8bn in November, recording a decrease of 27.6 percent, and to QR1.5bn in December 2016, registering an decrease of 13 percent.
As many as 2687 certificates of origin were issued in the said month.
The report said that Qatar’s non-oil exports during December were distributed to about 61 countries compared to 53 in November.
Countries receiving Qatar’s non-oil exports included 12 Arab countries and GCC, 13 European countries including Turkey, 14 Asian countries (excluding Arab countries), 19 African countries (excluding Arab countries), three countries of North and South Americas.
The report showed that despite the siege, there are an increase of countries which received Qatari commodities.
Sultanate of Oman was still Qatar’s top non-oil exports destination in December accounting for QR454.8m or 34.9 percent of the total exports. It was followed by Hong Kong with almost QR 196.9m or 15.1 percent and Turkey with QR 107.3m or 8.2 percent. Germany came in fourth place with almost QR95.5m or 7.3 percent followed by Bangladesh with QR 77.4m or 5.9 percent. China was in the sixth place followed by India, South Korea, Indonesia and Kuwait.
“It is clear that 88.5 percent of the total value of exports were received by the first ten countries above mentioned,” the QC report said.
The report said that Asian countries as an economic bloc were top destinations of Qatari exports amounting to 38.68 percent of the total exports with QR502.9m. GCC come in the second place amounting to 36.9 percent of the total value with QR481.9m. Most of them were received by Oman.
European countries including Turkey come in the third place. They imported goods worth QR220m which represents 16.8 percent of the total non-oil exports. In the fourth place, Arab countries received QR68.1m or 5.2 percent of the total value. African Countries come in the fifth place receiving QR20.5 or 1.6 percent. North America countries received QR10.6m most of them went to the US.
Commenting on the report, Qatar Chamber Chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani said that despite the siege imposed on the country for the seventh month, non-oil exports saw an increase month after month. This affirmed that Qatar has successfully managed to overcome its repercussions.
The surge in non-oil exports is emanated from the prudent policies and the wise leadership’s support to the private sector which plays a key role in the economic process and becomes a major mainstay of Qatar trade exchange with world countries, he noted.
Sheikh Khalifa praised the active contribution of local companies in the country’s outward trade movement as well as the sustained growth of their month-to-month exports.
QC’s director general Saleh bin Hamad Al Sharqi said that the Qatari private sector’s trade relations saw substantial growth.
There is is a great demand on the Qatari products in world markets. He said that the number of markets receiving Qatari products last year reached 66 countries which emphasized the quality of these products.
The value of non-oil exports will see further growth in the future, especially that various industrial projects have been accomplished in the country, he added.
