Qatar’s non-oil exports for the first quarter of 2017 stood at QR4.94bn, private sector leader Qatar Chamber said in its monthly report.

The report said the total value of Qatar’s non-oil exports in March increased QR1.38bn, up 15.1% compared to the QR1.54bn recorded in the same period in 2016.

The report, which was prepared based on certificates of origin issued in March by Qatar Chamber’s Research & Studies Department and Member Affairs Department, showed that about 75% of non-oil exports were received by the GCC countries at a value of about QR1.37bn, “which indicates the strength of intra-GCC trade.”

The rest of the exports were distributed to 58 countries around the world, the report further said.

Exports to Asian countries group (except Arab countries) stood at QR218.89mn, representing 12% of the total in March. European countries received Qatari exports worth QR123.9mn (6.7%), while Arab countries received QR100.94mn or 5.5% of the total exports.

African countries, North America, and South America represented 0.5%, 0.2%, and 0.7%, respectively of the total exports. The Arab countries group, including GCC countries, form 80.5% of the total exports in March, the report said.

The report said Qatar Chamber issued 5,874 certificates of origin in March for many destinations in 58 international markets compared to 51 last February.

The Qatari exports went to a total of 58 countries in February, including 16 Arab countries and the GCC; Europe, including Turkey (16 countries); Asia (11); Africa (10); and North and South Americas (5), the report said.

Saudi Arabia topped the list of countries that received Qatari non-oil exports in March with QR742.13mn, or 40.6% of, Qatar’s total non-oil exports for the month followed by the UAE (QR578.81mn, 31.6%), Turkey (QR 82.68mn or 4.5%), Bangladesh  (QR75.19mn, 3.2%), India (QR58.36mn, 3.2%).

The report added that GCC countries took in 75% of the total non-oil Qatari exports worth QR1.372bn, “which reflects the strong trade ties between Qatar and its GCC neighbours.”

Qatar Chamber director general Saleh bin Hamad al-Sharqi said the figures “significantly reflect the rapid growth of Qatar’s monthly non-oil exports.”

Source: gulf-times.com