Qatar records over $5bn trade surplus despite export decrease

RIYADH: Qatar reported a positive foreign merchandise trade balance for December 2023, with a surplus of nearly 18.7 billion Qatari riyals ($5.13 billion).

Recent data from the Planning and Statistics Authority revealed that the overall surplus represented a decrease of about 9.5 billion riyals, or a 33.7 percent drop, compared to the corresponding period in 2022.

It was, however, an increase of nearly 2 billion riyals, or 12 percent, compared to the previous month – November 2023.