Mubasher: The GCC was Qatar’s third largest importer in the fourth quarter of 2017, while the UAE topped the Gulf peers in spite of the Arab boycott. 
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut their diplomatic relations with Qatar in June 2017.

The GCC acquired 3.8% of Qatar’s total exports and 7% of the gas-rich nation’s overall imports, the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics’ (MDPS) data showed.

Asian countries were the top importer from Qatar, followed by the European Union (EU) nations, the data demonstrated. 

Qatari trade balance surplus with the GCC grew 0.9% to QAR 900 million ($247.2 million), the data added.

Bilateral trade between the world’s biggest LNG exporter and the GCC amounted to QAR 4.9 billion ($1.35 billion) during the fourth quarter of 2017.

The UAE’s imports from Qatar stood at QAR 1.4 billion ($384 million) in Q4-17, making up 2.1% of total Qatari exports.

Qatari exports to the GCC focused on natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), polyethylene, conductor rail, Alloy steel, row aluminum, and diesel for engines.

Qatari imports

On the other hand, Oman topped GCC exporters to Qatar with QAR 1.2 billion, accounting for 3.7% of Qatari fourth-quarter imports that hit QAR 32.6 billion.

Kuwait ranked second with QAR 400 million, followed by the UAE with QAR 600 million which represented 1.3%, and 1.9%, respectively of Doha’s total imports in the same period.