Metals account for 77pc of exports

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Aluminium, iron and steel made up 77pc of Bahrain’s national-origin exports in June, worth BD199.5 million between them.

Total national-origin exports stood at BD259m, as trade began to recover after the US-Iran war, Iranian attacks, the closure of airspace and disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz hit imports and exports from March.

Data from the Information & eGovernment Authority show aluminium and aluminium products accounted for BD116.2m. Iron and steel were worth BD50.2m, while products made from iron and steel came to BD33.1m.

Semi-finished iron and steel products were Bahrain’s biggest export item at BD48.6m, followed by unwrought aluminium alloys at BD45m and iron and steel bridges and bridge parts at BD28.5m. Processed cheese exports were worth BD10.5m.

Alloyed aluminium wire exports rose especially sharply.

Their value climbed from BD1.3m in March to BD6.3m in April, BD12.1m in May and BD19.1m in June.

June’s figure was 219.7pc above the monthly average for January and February, while export volumes were 208.3pc higher.

The US was the biggest buyer at BD10.1m, followed by Saudi Arabia at BD4.7m.

Exports of pure copper pipes also rose, reaching BD4.7m in June at a weight of 859 tonnes.

Their value was 75.6pc above the January-February monthly average, while the quantity exported was 62.7pc higher.

From April to June, the monthly average was 52.3pc higher in value and 48pc higher by weight than in the first two months of the year. The UAE bought BD1.9m worth in June, followed by Saudi Arabia at BD1.3m.

Imports totalled BD372.5m in June.

Gold bars were the biggest import item at BD32.6m, followed by alumina at BD31m and gold jewellery at BD13.6m.

Bahrain imported 677.8kg of gold bars, 34.2pc above the January-February monthly average.

It also imported 181,100 tonnes of alumina from Australia, Vietnam and China.

Jet engines with thrust of no greater than 25 kilonewtons, imported from the UK, were worth BD11.1m.

Wheat flour imports climbed after March.

Volumes rose from 722.7 tonnes in March to 1,128 tonnes in April and 6,838.8 tonnes in May, before falling to 4,573.1 tonnes in June. The June imports were worth BD1.1m.

The average monthly value of flour imports from April to June was 161.8pc above the January-February average, while volumes were 134.7pc higher.

The UAE supplied 4,451 tonnes of Bahrain’s June flour imports.

Medicine imports rose from BD2.8m in March to BD12.9m in April, before falling to BD10.1m in May and BD7.6m in June.

Their average monthly value from April to June was 54pc above the January-February average, while average volumes were 13.8pc higher.

Re-exports were worth BD53.8m in June.

Gold bars were the largest re-export item at BD7.6m, followed by jet engines with thrust above 25 kilonewtons at BD5m and other aircraft parts at BD3.8m.