The value of merchandise trade totalled RO 33.8 billion in 2021, up from RO 28 billion in 2020, according to the Directorate General of Customs – Royal Oman Police. The strong uptick in imports and exports was in trend with the post-pandemic recovery of the Omani economy.
Trade in automotive vehicles and spare parts totalled RO 2.2 billion in value during 2021. This category came only second to crude oil and petroleum fuels, the traded value of which amounted to RO 14.2 billion.
In third place was Equipment & Machinery valued at RO 1.6 billion, while Iron & Steel products came fourth with a value of RO 1.2 billion.
Omani seaports accounted for 74 per cent of total goods entering or exiting the Sultanate of Oman. Port of Sohar was the leading port for maritime cargo. Land borders handled around 19 per cent of all merchandise, with a dominant share routed through Hatta. Airports handled seven per cent of total merchandise, much of it through Muscat International Airport.
Among the Sultanate of Oman’s trading partners, China was the biggest with a share of RO 8.3 billion, followed by the United Arab Emirates (RO 6.3 billion), India (RO 2.6 billion), Saudi Arabia (RO 1.3 billion) and Qatar (RO 1.2 billion).
Omani exports alone totalled around RO 20.1 billion in value, representing a 33.7 per cent increase over the 2020 figure. China, India and the UAE together represented 54.5 per cent of the total value of exports for the year 2021. Omani exports to China amounted to RO 7.45 billion, India RO 1.89 and UAE RO 1.6 billion.
