Qatar Economic Outlook Issue Number 13

Figure 2-54: Imports and Exports by 
Commodity Groups (2020) 
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82 
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Export 2020
Import 2020
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Source: Planning and Statistical Authority

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Qatar Economic Outlook 2021 - 2023 
104 
Classification (SITC) and in 2020 as shown 
in Figure (2-54), hydrocarbon goods as 
expected represent the top exported good of 
the State of Qatar and leads with a rate of up 
to 82%, followed by chemicals at about 8%, 
and then manufactured goods and others at 
about 10%. In regard to the top imported 
goods, the grouping of machinery and 
equipment came in at first place with 40%, 
followed by the group of manufactured goods 
at 15%, then the cluster of food commodities 
at 12%, while the combined group of 
chemical and hydrocarbon products 
accounted for 14%, and the remainder 
representing all other goods at about 18%. 
Development of Qatar’s Import 
Values
Given the relative stability of Qatari exports, 
both in terms of quantity and trading partners 
- bearing in mind that their values are subject 
to large fluctuations in oil and gas prices, this 
section briefly reviews the evolution of the 
level of value of imports by economic regions 
during the period 2016-2021, to give an 
overview of how its fluctuation with the local 
needs of the requirements of economic and 
social development, and how it responds to 
external variables such as geopolitical crises 
and the development of global trade policies. 
It is noted from Figure (2-55) that the average 
value of Qatari imports during the period 
2016-2020 amounted to about QR 108 
billion, with a maximum of QR 117 billion, and 
a minimum of QR 94 billion. European 
countries accounted for 36.3% of the total, 
followed by Asian countries with 30.9%, then 
American countries by 20%, and then Arab 
countries by about 10%, with a maximum of 
QR 18 billion, and a minimum of QR 5 billion, 
to reflect geopolitical developments. 
To find out whether the measures to combat 
Covid-19 have any impact on production, 
consumption and prices, the ratios of imports 
by source for the first three quarters of 2021 
were calculated, which showed that Asian 
countries are now the number one source of 
Qatar’s imports by 41% of the total, 
compared to previous years.
Certainly, if this is true, it indicates the 
possibility that businessmen in Qatar are now 
preferring importing from Asian countries in 
response to potential developments: either 
high inflation rates that hit the European and 
American markets during the same period, or 
there are change in the groups of import 
compositions to reflect changes in people's 
tastes or requirements of economic and 
social development, or perhaps just a matter 
of data error,
and that the data for the fourth 
quarter of 2021 will change the ratios, which 
means that most of it will come from Europe.