The Kingdom's imports in November saw a decline (14.36%) to (47,210) million riyals, a decrease of (7,916) million riyals compared to the same period last year, when they stood at (55,126) million riyals. The General Authority for Statistics and Information indicated in its latest data, recently received by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), that the value of the Kingdom’s non-oil commodity exports declined last November to (15,032) million.
Capital goods
The Authority clarified in its monthly report that (23.23%) of imports were capital goods, (37.14%) were intermediate goods, and (39.63%) of imports were final consumption goods.
It noted that the ratio of the Kingdom’s non-oil merchandise exports to imports (i.e., the coverage of non-oil merchandise exports relative to imports) reached (31.84%) in November 2015, compared to (31.18%) for the same month last year; however, this ratio was higher than in October 2015, when it stood at (25.25%).
The report’s data revealed that the value of the Kingdom’s non-petroleum commodity exports rose by (8.6%) compared to October 2015, when it stood at (13,838) million riyals. The value of the Kingdom’s imports also decreased by (13.86%) compared to the previous month, when it stood at (54,809) million riyals.
The Statistics Authority report noted that the decline in the value of non-petroleum commodity exports last November compared to the same month last year was due to a decline in most major categories of exported goods, led by plastics, rubber, and their products, andwhich fell by (18.27%) to a total value of (4,613) million riyals.
Chemical industry products
It noted that chemical industry products and related items declined to (4,425) million riyals, compared to (5,218) million riyals in November 2014, representing a decrease of (793) million riyals, or (15.20%) percent; Similarly, the machinery, equipment, and electrical appliances group, including parts, declined to (890) million riyals compared to (1,262) million riyals in November 2014, a decrease of (372) million riyals, or (29.48%).
The Kingdom’s exports of (transportation equipment and parts, base metals, and metal products) reached (2,658) million riyals, accounting for (17.68%) of the Kingdom’s non-oil merchandise exports during this period.
Decline in Imports
On the import front, the value of imports of machinery, equipment, electrical appliances, and their parts decreased by (16.19%), reaching (13,112) million riyals in November 2015 compared to (15,644) million riyals in November 2014, The value of imports of base metals and metal products also fell to (4,123) million riyals, compared to (5,564) million riyals, a decrease of (25.90%), while the value of imports of plant products fell by (23.03%) to (1,918) million riyals in November 2015, compared to (2,492) million riyals for the same period last year.
Data from the General Authority for Statistics and Information report indicated that the decline in the value of non-petroleum commodity exports was not reflected in the quantities, as the total volume of non-petroleum goods exported rose to (4,359) thousand metric tons in November 2015, compared to (3,965) thousand metric tons in November 2014, an increase of (9.94%). Meanwhile, the volume of imports in November 2015 fell to (5,003) thousand metric tons, compared to (6,624) thousand metric tons for the same month last year, a decrease of (24.47%).
Geographic Distribution of the Kingdom’s Exports
Regarding the geographic distribution of the Kingdom’s non-petroleum exports, the report indicated that exports to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries ranked first among the destination groups and recorded a decrease of (2.33%) to reach (3,997) million riyals in November 2015, compared to (4,093) million riyals in November 2014.
Exports to non-Arab Islamic Asian countries fell by (22.81 %) to (3,945) million riyals, while exports to the remaining groups declined by (10.50%) to reach (1,426) million riyals.
The report indicated that the United Arab Emirates, China, Singapore, Egypt, and the United States topped the list of the five most important export destinations, with exports to these countries accounting for (37.47%) of total non-oil merchandise exports, compared to (36.93%) in November 2014.
The United States, China, Germany, Japan, and South Korea were the top five countries of origin for imports, with imports from these countries totaling (47.53%) compared to (44.20%) in November 2014. The report noted that imports from all five of these countries declined, with the exception of Germany, where imports rose by (1.94%).
