Bahrain’s value of non-oil exports increased by 9 per cent as it reached BD2.286 billion ($6.06 billion) during 2018 versus BD2.093 billion ($5.55 billion) for the previous year.
The top 10 countries accounted for 66 per cent of the exported national origin value and 34 per cent for other countries, said the Foreign Trade Report of 2018 by the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA), which encompasses balance of trade, imports, exports (national origin) and re-exports.
Saudi Arabia topped countries importing from Bahrain with BD535 million ($1.41 billion), UAE came second with BD258 million ($684.3 million), and Oman ranked third with BD233 million ($618 million).
Agglomerated iron ores and concentrates emerged as the top products exported in 2018 with BD372 million ($986.6 million); aluminium wires were positioned second with a value of BD280 million ($742.6 million); and unwrought aluminium alloys came in third place with BD190 million ($503.9 million).
Bahrain’s value of imports increased by 13 per cent as it reached BD5.593 billion ($14.83 billion) during 2018 versus BD4.942 billion ($13.11 billion) for the previous year, said a report.
The top 10 countries account for 65 per cent of the imports value and 35 per cent for other countries,
According to the report, China was ranked as the top country that exports to Bahrain with BD706 million ($1.872 billion), UAE came second with BD492 million ($1.30 billion), whereas the US ranked third with BD451 million ($1.19 billion).
Aluminium oxide emerged as the top product imported to Bahrain with BD341 million ($904.5 million), while the non-agglomerated iron ores and concentrates was the second with BD278 million ($737.35 million). Four-wheel drive cars ranked third with BD202 million ($535.77 million) during 2018.
Meanwhile, the value of re-exports decreased by 2 per cent as it reached BD515 million ($1.36 billion) during 2018 versus BD525 million ($1.39 billion) for the previous year.
The top 10 countries account for 88 per cent of the re-exported value and 12 per cent for other countries. Saudi Arabia was ranked as the first country to re-export from Bahrain with BD183 million ($485.3 million), China ranked second with BD80 million ($212.1 billion), and UAE came third with BD72 million ($190.9 million).
Four-wheel drive cars emerged as the top products re-exported from Bahrain with BD89 million ($236.05 million), cigarettes containing tobacco came as second products with BD36 million ($95.48 million), and private cars came third with BD13 million ($34.4 million).
The trade balance, difference between exports and imports, the value of the deficit of the trade balance reached BD2.793 billion ($7.40 billion) during 2018 versus BD2.324 billion ($6.16 billion) for the previous year with an increase of 20 per cent, it stated.
TradeArabia News Service
22/02/2019
