RIYADH — Saudi Arabia recorded a 49.6% increase in merchandise exports in January compared to the same period last year, the General Authority for Statistics (GaStat) revealed. GaStat clarified that the value of merchandise exports amounted to about SR107.6 billion, compared to SR71.7 billion during the same period last year. The increase in the merchandise exports came as a result of an increase in petroleum exports by SR30.5 billion, or 57.5%, GaStat confirmed. Petroleum exports represented 77.6% of the total exports last January, compared to January 2021, when it reached 73.7% at the time. While the GaStat's data showed an increase in non-oil exports in January by 27.5%, with a value of SR24.1 billion, compared to SR18.9 billion during the same period in 2021. The ratio of non-oil exports to imports recorded an increase of 46.5%, compared to 39.4% in January 2021, GaStat said, noting that this increase came as a result of the increase in non-oil exports by 27.5%, compared to the increase in imports by 8.1%. China has topped the list of countries receiving Saudi goods, with a value of SR17.3 billion, India came next with SR11.9 billion, followed by South Korea with SR11.1 billion. Then came, respectively, Japan, the UAE, America, Taiwan, Singapore, Egypt and Bahrain.
