UAE non-oil trade grows in 4 months

UAE non-oil foreign trade maintained positive growth rates in the first four months of this year rose by AED 17.3 billion to AED 320.3 billion compared to AED 303 billion in the period of comparison. The FCA initial statistics showed that exports increased by 10% from early January to late April this year, raising the UAE non-oil exports by AED 18.4 billion from AED 190.6 billion in 2011 to AED 209 billion in the same period of this year. “The exports grew within the above period by 33% from AED 35.1 billion to AED 46.9 billion, while re-exports hit AED 64.4 billion in this period”, said the FCA. In terms of weight, the UAE total foreign trade hit about 31.8 million tons in 2012 January- April, including 17.5 million tons in imports, 11.2 million tons in exports and 3.1 million tons in re-exports. The daily average weight of consignments (exported, imported and re-exported) processed by different customs outlets hit about 132 thousand tons per day (17 thousand tons per hour). “In April alone, the UAE foreign trade hit about AED 81.8 billion, including AED 52.7 billion in imports, AED 12.5 billion in exports and AED 16.6 billion in re-exports”, the FCA said. Asia-Pacific region, retained its first place among the UAE top non-oil foreign trade partners with a total trade of AED 145.6 billion with the UAE – 46% of the total trade in the first four months. Europe came in the second place with AED 80.2 billion (25%) of the total trade followed by Middle East and North Africa with AED 43.4 billion (14%), America and the Caribbean with AED 28 billion (9%), Western and Central Africa region with AED 9.2 billion (2.9%) and COMESA with AED 8.3 billion (2.6%). The total of UAE non-oil foreign trade with the Gulf Council Countries (GCC) hit AED 26 billion in the first four months of this year. This total consisted of AED 9.3 billion in imports, AED 7 billion in exports and AED 9.7 billion in re-exports. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), kept its top place among the UAE trade partners from the GCC in the first four months of this year. The UAE total trade with the KSA reached AED 9.9 billion. Oman came in the second place with AED 6.4 billion followed by, Kuwait with AED 3.5 billion, Qatar with AED 3.2 billion and finally Bahrain with AED 3 billion. The UAE total foreign trade with Arab countries hit about AED 44.5 billion in 2012 January- April. This total is divided into AED 19.5 billion in imports; AED 10 billion in exports and AED 15 billion in re-exports. The initial statistics in this period showed that gold came at the top of the imported goods with AED 35.7 billion, followed by diamond with AED 15 billion, cars with AED 12.5 billion and jewelry with AED 10 billion. Gold, was the top among exported goods with AED 24.4 billion, followed by polyethylene and propylene polymers in crude forms with AED 4.7 billion, jewels and pieces of jewelry with AED 1.5 billion and petroleum and other oils with AED 1.1 billion. Diamond, came first in re-exports in 2012 January- April with AED 15.5 billion, followed by jewels and pieces of jewelry with AED 6 billion, cars with AED 5.1 billion and mobile phones with AED 4.3 billion. The total trade of markets and free zones hit AED 5.1 billion for this period.