Saudi Arabia’s Trade Dynamics: Decrease in Merchandise Exports but Increase in Non-Oil Imports in April 2021

In April, Saudi Arabia experienced a 1 percent decrease in merchandise exports compared to the previous year, as reported by the General Authority for Statistics. On the other hand, non-oil exports saw a significant increase of 12.4 percent during the same period. Meanwhile, oil exports decreased by 4.2 percent. Imports into the kingdom also saw a decline of 1.3 percent in April compared to the previous year.

China emerged as the top destination for Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports, accounting for 16.6 percent of total non-oil exports, followed by Japan and India. Similarly, China was also the leading source of imports for the kingdom in April, making up 22.4 percent of total imports. The United States and India followed as the next major importers for Saudi Arabia.