Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Monday, Dec 15, 2025

GCC’s Total Foreign Merchandise Trade Value Reaches $1.146 Tn

GCC’s Total Foreign Merchandise Trade Value Reaches $1.146 Tn

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) total international merchandise trade movement reached $1.146 trillion, compared to $840.7 billion in 2020, an increase of 36.4 percent.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia contributed about three-quarters of the volume of foreign merchandise trade, while the total merchandise exports in 2021 amounted to $668.6 billion, an increase of 52.5 percent compared to 2020.

The GCC Statistical Center revealed that national exports originating from GCC countries increased 57.2 percent to $564.4 billion, compared to 2020, while the value of re-exported goods saw a 30.9 percent increase to $104.2 billion in 2021.

The GCC’s merchandise balance surplus in 2021 increased 423.9 percent to $190.6 billion last year, compared to $36.4 billion in 2020.

Oil and its products accounted for 73.7 percent of GCC exports, amounting to about $415.9 billion in 2021, compared to $252.2 billion in 2020, with a growth rate of 64.9 percent over the previous year.

Other commodity exports from the GCC include plastics and its products at 5.9 percent, gold and precious stones at 5.4 percent, organic chemical products at 3.2 percent, and aluminum at 2.9 percent.

Machinery and electrical appliances represented 24 percent of the re-exported goods in the past year, to reach $25 billion, compared to $20 billion in 2020.

Other re-exports from the GCC include gold and precious stones at 25 percent, machinery and mechanical equipment at 11.8 percent, cars and vehicle parts at 10.2 percent, and oil and its products at 4.8 percent.

The gold and precious stones sector topped the list of imports with 16.2 percent, amounting to $77.2 billion, an increase of 46 percent compared to 2020, followed by machinery and electrical appliances at 13.2 percent, then machinery and automated equipment at 11.6 percent.

Other import products include cars and vehicle parts, accounting for nine percent, and pharmaceutical products, accounting for 3.4 percent.

China ranked first as GCC’s top trading partner in 2021 in total merchandise exports, accounting for 19.5 percent.

Last year, GCC’s exports to China reached $130.6 billion, compared to $71 billion in 2020, a growth of 83.9 percent, while India ranked second at 13.9 percent, followed by Japan at 11.5 percent, and South Korea at 5.9 percent.

In 2021, the GCC imported $98.3 billion in products from China, compared to $77.2 billion in 2020, an increase of 27.3 percent.

Total merchandise imports include the US at 8.6 percent, India at 7.5 percent, Japan at 4.6 percent, and Germany at 4.2 percent.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Saudi Arabia Condemns Sydney Bondi Beach Shooting and Expresses Solidarity with Australia
Washington Watches Beijing–Riyadh Rapprochement as Strategic Balance Shifts
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Drives Measurable Lift in Global Reputation and Influence
Alcohol Policies Vary Widely Across Muslim-Majority Countries, With Many Permitting Consumption Under Specific Rules
Saudi Arabia Clarifies No Formal Ban on Photography at Holy Mosques for Hajj 2026
Libya and Saudi Arabia Sign Strategic MoU to Boost Telecommunications Cooperation
Elon Musk’s xAI Announces Landmark 500-Megawatt AI Data Center in Saudi Arabia
Israel Moves to Safeguard Regional Stability as F-35 Sales Debate Intensifies
Cardi B to Make Historic Saudi Arabia Debut at Soundstorm 2025 Festival
U.S. Democratic Lawmakers Raise National Security and Influence Concerns Over Paramount’s Hostile Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
Hackers Are Hiding Malware in Open-Source Tools and IDE Extensions
Traveling to USA? Homeland Security moving toward requiring foreign travelers to share social media history
Wall Street Analysts Clash With Riyadh Over Saudi Arabia’s Deficit Outlook
Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Cement $1 Trillion-Plus Deals in High-Profile White House Summit
Saudi Arabia Opens Alcohol Sales to Wealthy Non-Muslim Residents Under New Access Rules
U.S.–Saudi Rethink Deepens — Washington Moves Ahead Without Linking Riyadh to Israel Normalisation
Saudi Arabia and Israel Deprioritise Diplomacy: Normalisation No Longer a Middle-East Priority
As Trump Deepens Ties with Saudi Arabia, Push for Israel Normalization Takes a Back Seat
Thai Food Village Debuts at Saudi Feast Food Festival 2025 Under Thai Commerce Minister Suphajee’s Lead
Saudi Arabia Sharpens Its Strategic Vision as Economic Transformation Enters New Phase
Saudi Arabia Projects $44 Billion Budget Shortfall in 2026 as Economy Rebalances
OPEC+ Unveils New Capacity-Based System to Anchor Future Oil Output Levels
Hong Kong Residents Mourn Victims as 1,500 People Relocated After Devastating Tower Fire
Saudi Arabia’s SAMAI Initiative Surpasses One-Million-Citizen Milestone in National AI Upskilling Drive
Saudi Arabia’s Specialty Coffee Market Set to Surge as Demand Soars and New Exhibition Drops in December
Saudi Arabia Moves to Open Two New Alcohol Stores for Foreigners Under Vision 2030 Reform
Saudi Arabia’s AI Ambitions Gain Momentum — but Water, Talent and Infrastructure Pose Major Hurdles
Tensions Surface in Trump-MBS Talks as Saudi Pushes Back on Israel Normalisation
Saudi Arabia Signals Major Maritime Crack-Down on Houthi Routes in Red Sea
Italy and Saudi Arabia Seal Over 20 Strategic Deals at Business Forum in Riyadh
COP30 Ends Without Fossil Fuel Phase-Out as US, Saudi Arabia and Russia Align in Obstruction Role
Saudi-Portuguese Economic Horizons Expand Through Strategic Business Council
DHL Commits $150 Million for Landmark Logistics Hub in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Aramco Weighs Disposals Amid $10 Billion-Plus Asset Sales Discussion
Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince for Major Defence and Investment Agreements
Families Accuse OpenAI of Enabling ‘AI-Driven Delusions’ After Multiple Suicides
Riyadh Metro Records Over One Hundred Million Journeys as Saudi Capital Accelerates Transit Era
Trump’s Grand Saudi Welcome Highlights U.S.–Riyadh Pivot as Israel Watches Warily
U.S. Set to Sell F-35 Jets to Saudi Arabia in Major Strategic Shift
Saudi Arabia Doubles Down on U.S. Partnership in Strategic Move
Saudi Arabia Charts Tech and Nuclear Leap Under Crown Prince’s U.S. Visit
Trump Elevates Saudi Arabia to Major Non-NATO Ally Amid Defense Deal
Trump Elevates Saudi Arabia to Major Non-NATO Ally as MBS Visit Yields Deepened Ties
Iran Appeals to Saudi Arabia to Mediate Restart of U.S. Nuclear Talks
Musk, Barra and Ford Join Trump in Lavish White House Dinner for Saudi Crown Prince
Lawmaker Seeks Declassification of ‘Shocking’ 2019 Call Between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince
US and Saudi Arabia Forge Strategic Defence Pact Featuring F-35 Sale and $1 Trillion Investment Pledge
Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Emerges as Key Contender in Warner Bros. Discovery Sale
Trump Secures Sweeping U.S.–Saudi Agreements on Jets, Technology and Massive Investment
Detroit CEOs Join White House Dinner as U.S.–Saudi Auto Deal Accelerates
×