Saudi, China top trading partners of Bahrain: iGA

Saudi Arabia emerged as the top country importing from Bahrain, with second and third spots shared by the UAE and the United States of America, according to iGA’s new foreign trade report. The report puts agglomerated iron ores and concentrates as the top products exported from Bahrain in January of 2019 with a value of BD22 million. Aluminium wires were positioned as the second products exported with a value of BD17m, and unwrought aluminium alloys stood third place for exported products with BD12m.

However, the value of the exported national origin decreased by 5pc as it reached BD168m during January of 2019 versus BD176m for the same month of the previous year. Top 10 countries account for 82pc of the exported national origin value and 18pc for other countries. This was revealed in the foreign trade report of January 2019 issued by the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) which encompasses a balance of trade, imports, exports (National Origin) and re-exports.

Meanwhile, China is ranked as the first country to export to Bahrain with BD54m; United Arab Emirates (UAE) as second with BD37m whereas Saudi Arabia ranked third with BD34m. The value of imports decreased by 10pc as it reached BD372m versus BD412m for the same month of the previous year, while the top 10 countries account for 69pc of the imports value and 31pc for other countries.

The trade balance, the difference between exports and imports, the value of the deficit of the trade balance reached BD147m during January this year versus BD196m for the same month of the previous year with a decrease of 25pc.

Re-exports rose 49pc

The value of re-exports increased by 49pc as it reached BD58m during January versus BD39m in the same month a year ago. The top 10 countries account for 88pc of the re-exported value and 12pc for other countries. UAE is ranked as the first country to re-export from Bahrain with BD17m, Saudi Arabia is ranked as the second with BD17m, and China as the third with BD5m.

Agglomerated iron ores and concentrates emerged as the top products re-exported from Bahrain with BD9m, four-wheel drive cars came as second products with BD6m and gold ingots came as the third with BD4m.