UAE non-oil trade rises 2.3% in Q1

UAE non-oil foreign trade maintained its growth in the first quarter of 2012, according to official data on Saturday. The statistical data released by the Federal Customs Authority, or FCA, showed that the growth rate of UAE exports hit 38 per cent in the first quarter, raising exports to Dh34.3 billion compared to Dh24.8 billion in the same period last year, reflecting an increase of Dh9.5 billion. In the same period, UAE imports rose to six per cent, raising non-oil imports by Dh8.9 billion from Dh147 billion in the first quarter of 2011 to Dh156.3 billion this year. The re-exports reached Dh47.8 billion within this period. “The growth rate of UAE non-oil foreign trade hit 2.3 per cent in the first quarter of this year,” the FCA said. The preliminary data showed that total UAE’s non-oil trade with foreign countries rose by Dh5.4 billion to Dh238.4 billion in Jan-Mar 2012, compared to Dh233 billion in the same period last year. In terms of weight, total UAE foreign trade hit about 23.4 million tonnes in the first quarter of 2012, including 13.1 million tonnes in imports, 8.4 million tonnes in exports and 2.3 million tonnes in re-exports, the FCA said. The daily average of consignments – imported, exported and re-exported – processed by different customs outlets hit about 99,000 tonnes per day with an average of 12 thousand tonnes per hour. “UAE non-oil trade with the outside world hit about Dh83.5 billion in March 2012 only; Dh54.7 billion in imports, Dh12.2 billion in exports and Dh16.6 billion of re-exports,” the FCA said. The Asia-Pacific region, the FCA said, maintained first place among the top non-oil trade partners of the UAE in the same quarter. The region’s total trade with the UAE reached Dh110.2 billion, 47 per cent of the total trade, followed by Europe with Dh58.8 billion (25 per cent), the Middle East and North Africa region with Dh31 billion (13 per cent), America and the the Caribbean with Dh21.3 billion (nine per cent), Central and Western Africa with Dh6.7 billion (2.9 per cent) and Comesa with Dh6.3 billion (2.7 per cent). Total UAE non-oil foreign trade with the GCC hit Dh18.6 billion in the first quarter of this year, the FCA said in the Press release. This total consisted of Dh6.9 billion in imports, Dh4.8 billion in exports and Dh6.9 billion in re-exports. Saudi Arabia kept its top place among UAE trade partners from the GCC in the first quarter. UAE total trade with the kingdom reached Dh7.1 billion. Oman came in second place with Dh4.7 billion followed by Kuwait with Dh2.4 billion, Qatar with Dh2.4 billion and Bahrain with Dh2 billion. Total UAE foreign trade with Arab countries hit about Dh31.8 billion in the first quarter. This total is divided into Dh14.1 billion in imports, Dh7 billion in exports and Dh10.7 billion in re-exports. The preliminary statistics for the first quarter of this year showed that gold came at the top of imported goods with Dh26.5 billion, followed by diamonds with Dh11.7 billion, cars with Dh9 billion and jewelry with Dh7.1 billion. In the first quarter, gold was top among exported goods with Dh17.6 billion, followed by polyethylene and propylene polymers in crude forms with Dh3.8 billion, jewels and pieces of jewellery with Dh1.1 billion, and petroleum and other oils with Dh812 million. Diamonds came first in re-exports in the first quarter of 2012 with Dh12 billion, followed by jewels and pieces of jewellery with Dh3.6 billion, phones with Dh3.4 billion. The total trade of markets and free zones hit Dh3.8 billion in the same period. From : Khalij