The Japanese trade deficit with the Arabian Gulf States grew by two percent during the first half of 2001, reaching $16.6 billion, reported the Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO).
Japanese exports to Gulf markets hit $3.6 billion in the first half of 2001, a seven percent increase compared with the same period in 2000. Japan imported $20.2 billion worth of merchandise from the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states—Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—in the first half of 2001, a 2.7 percent increase compared with the corresponding period the previous year.
The total trade exchanges between Japan and Arabian Gulf States recorded a slight rise of 3.3 percent in the first half of 2001, reaching $23.8 billion, up from $23 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Car sales represented one billion dollars of the total Japanese exports to the Gulf during that period. Saudi Arabia absorbed $410 million worth of cars, the UAE $291 million, Kuwait $118 million, Oman $143 million, Qatar $62 million and the rest to Bahrain. — (menareport.com)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
