Qatar’s foreign merchandise trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports, showed a surplus of QR12.8bn, reflecting an increase of about QR8.4bn or 194.1 percent compared to April 2020, according to The Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA). The trade balance decreased by nearly QR0.4bn or 3 percent compared to March 2021, as per the preliminary figures of exports of domestic goods and imports for April 2021 released by the PSA. In April 2021, the total exports of goods (including exports of goods of domestic origin and re-exports) amounted to around QR21bn, showing an increase of 77.1 percent compared to April 2020, and decrease of 5 percent compared to March 2021. The imports of goods in April 2021 amounted to around QR8.2bn, showing an increase of 9.2 percent compared to April 2020, and decrease of 8 percent compared to March 2021.
The year on year (April 2021 to April 2020) increase in total exports was mainly due to higher exports of Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons (LNG, condensates, propane, butane, etc.) reaching QR11.7bn approximately in April 2021, i.e. an increase of 52.6 percent, Petroleum oils & oils from bituminous minerals (crude) reaching QR3.2 billion nearly, increased by 171.9 percent, and increase in the Petroleum oils & oils from bituminous minerals (not crude) reaching QR2.2bn, increased by 356.2 percent. In April 2021, Japan was at the top of the countries of destination of Qatar’s exports with close to QR2.8bn, a share of 13.4 percent of total exports, followed by China with almost QR2.76bn and a share of 13.2 percent, India with about QR2.7bn, a share of 12.7 percent.
In April 2021, China was the leading country of origin of Qatar’s imports with about QR1.1bn, a share of 13.4 percent of the imports, followed by United State of America with QR1.08bn almost, a share of 13.3 percent, and India with QR0.6bn, a share of 7.4 percent. The year on year (April 2021 to April 2020), the group of “Turbojets, Turbo propellers & Other Gas Turbines; Parts Thereof” was at the top of the imported group of commodities, with QR0.5bn, showing a decrease of 32.4 percent. In second place was “ Motor Cars & Other Motor Vehicles for The Transport of Persons” with QR0.4bn, showing an increase of 20.9 percent and in third place was “ Electrical Apparatus for Line Telephony/Telegraphy, Telephone Sets Etc.; Parts Thereof” with QR0.3bn, increase of 23.6 percent.