Bahrain imports over BD1.1 billion in products

TDT | Manama

Bahrain’s value of imports has decreased by eight per cent, reaching BD1.168 billion during the second quarter of 2020, compared with BD1.267 billion for the same quarter the previous year, the Information and eGovernment Authority (iGA) said as it issued its foreign trade report of the second quarter of this year.

The report encompasses data on the balance of trade, imports, exports (national origin), and re-exports. The top 10 countries accounted for 67 per cent of the value of imports, with the remaining countries accounting for 33 per cent. According to the report, China ranked first when it came to imports to Bahrain, with a total of BD194 million.

Saudi Arabia was second with BD79.1 million, and Brazil was third with BD79 million. Aluminum oxide emerged as the top product imported into Bahrain with a total value of BD79 million, while non-agglomerated iron ores and concentrates was second with BD75 million, and four-wheel-drive cars third with BD43 million.

The value of exports of national origin decreased by nine per cent to BD540 million during the second quarter of 2020, compared with BD595 million for the same quarter of the previous year. The top 10 countries in terms of the value of exports of national origin purchased from Bahrain accounted for 74 per cent of the total value, with the remaining countries accounting for 26 per cent.

Saudi ranked first among countries receiving Bahraini exports of national origin, importing BD109 million from the Kingdom. The UAE was second with BD51 million and the US third with BD43 million. Unwrought aluminum (not alloyed) emerged as the top products exported during the second quarter of 2020 with BD101 million.

Unwrought aluminum alloys was second with a value of BD100 million and agglomerated iron ores and concentrates alloyed was third with BD66 million. The total value of re-exports decreased by 20 per cent to reach BD143 million in the second quarter of 2020, compared with BD180 million for the same quarter of the previous year.

The top 10 countries accounted for 93 per cent of the re-exported value, while the remaining countries accounted for the remaining seven per cent. Saudi ranked first with BD61 million, the UAE second with BD24 million, and China third with BD18 million. Four-wheel-drive cars emerged as the top product re-exported from Bahrain with BD30 million.

Parts for aero planes came in second place with BD14 million and cigarettes containing tobacco came third with BD9 million. The trade balance, the difference between exports and imports, recorded a deficit, totalling BD485 million during the second quarter of 2020, compared to BD492 million for the same quarter of the previous year, an improvement of the trade balance by one per cent.