Qatar ranked fourth Sharjah’s trade partner in the GCC in 2009 with a trade exchange value of Dh1.1bn, according to Ali bin Salem Al Mahmoud, General Manager of the Sharjah Economic Development Department. During a recent presentation on foreign trade activities in 2009, Al Mahmoud, stated that the replacement of imports has been afforded the highest priority in order to improve export performance, to increase demand, and to achieve better balance for all economic sectors. Trade exchange between the Emirate of Sharjah and the GCC countries was valued at Dh7.8bn in 2009. This included imports to the value of Dh1160.4m and exports to the value of Dh190.4m. The re-export volume accounted for 76.2 percent of the total trade exchange in 2009, reaching Dh5.942bn, while transit trade reached Dh515.1m, accounting for 6.6 percent of the total trade exchange between Sharjah and the GCC countries in 2009. Saudi Arabia emerged as Sharjah’s largest GCC trade partner in 2009, with a trade exchange value of Dh2.3bn. Oman was the Emirate’s second largest GCC trade partner with a trade exchange value of Dh2.1bn. The volume of imports from Oman increased to Dh579.5m in 2009, while the volume of re-export grew to Dh1.2bn. Kuwait ranked third with a trade exchange volume of Dh1.3bn in 2009. Volumes of trade exchange with Qatar and Bahrain reached Dh1.1bn and Dh 1bn respectively. Al Mahmoud showed that Sharjah’s foreign trade amounted to Dh60.5bn in 2009. Imports accounted for 65.6 percent of the total with Dh39.7bn, while exports and re-exports reached Dh1.7bn and Dh16.7bn in 2009, together totalling 30.4 percent of the total foreign trade value. Transit accounted for 3.8 percent of the total with Dh2.3bn. He said imports from India came out top with Dh14.3bn accounting for 36 percent of the total imports (Dh39.7bn), while imports from Japan ranked second with Dh5.4bn or 13.6 percent of the total imports. In terms of exports, Iraq ranked first with Dh322.3m, accounting for 17.6 percent of the total, while exports to Iran was second with Dh254.3m or 14.9 percent of the total exports. The presentation showed that re-export to Iraq in 2009 reached Dh3.4bn, accounting for 20.4 percent of the total re-exports, while re-exports to Iran and the KSA was second and third, with Dh2.9bn (17.4 percent) and Dh1.7bn (9.8 percent) respectively. Transit trade to Iraq in 2009 amounted to Dh924m or 39.7 percent of the total transit activities, while transit trade to Afghanistan totalled Dh340m accounting for 14.7 percent of the total transit activities in the Emirate. On that note, Sharjah’s trade exchange with non-GCC Arab countries increased to Dh5.8bn in 2009, showing a 3.6 percent growth compared to 2008. Imports increased to Dh481.4m, up 13.8 percent from 2008, while re-export trade volumes increased from Dh3.611bn in 2008 to Dh3.845bn in 2009. http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/4106-trade-between-qatar-sharjah-at-dh11bn.html

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