In March 2025, non-oil exports (including re-exports) recorded a significantyear-on-year increase of 10.7%. Meanwhile, total merchandise exports declinedby 9.8%, mainly due to a 16.1% drop in oil exports. Imports increased slightlyby 0.1%, resulting in a 34.2% decrease in the merchandise trade surpluscompared to March 2024. The ratio of non-oil exports to imports improved to36.5%. China remained the Kingdom’s top trading partner for both exports andimports.
1. Non-Oil Export Performance
• Non-oil exports, including re-exports, increased by 10.7% compared toMarch 2024.
• National non-oil exports (excluding re-exports) rose by 6.7%.
• The value of re-exported goods grew by 21.0% during the same period.
2. Overall Merchandise Exports
• Merchandise exports decreased by 9.8% year-on-year.
• This decline was mainly due to a 16.1% reduction in oil exports.
• Consequently, the share of oil exports in total exports fell from 76.5%in March 2024 to 71.2% in March 2025.
3. Imports and Trade Balance
• Imports recorded a slight increase of 0.1%.
• As a result, the merchandise trade surplus decreased by 34.2% comparedto the same month last year.
4. Ratio of Non-Oil Exports to Imports
• This ratio improved to 36.5% in March 2025, up from 33.0% inMarch 2024.
• The improvement was driven by stronger growth in non-oil exports relative toimports (10.7% vs. 0.1%).
5. Key Non-Oil Export Commodities
• Chemical products accounted for 25.7% of total non-oil exports,increasing by 2.9% year-on-year.
• Plastics, rubber, and related products represented 23.3% ofnon-oil exports, with a growth of 21.8% compared to March 2024.
6. Key Import Commodities
• Machinery, electrical equipment, and parts were the largest importcategory, comprising 26.1% of total imports, with a 3.6%increase.
• Transportation equipment and parts followed with 15.2%, growingby 4.4%.
7. Top Merchandise Trading Partners
• Exports:
• China: 15.5%
• India: 9.4%
• Japan: 8.7%
• Together with UAE, South Korea, USA, Bahrain, Egypt, Poland, and Malaysia,the top 10 export destinations accounted for 64.4% of total exports.
• Imports:
• China: 25.3%
• USA: 7.8%
• UAE: 5.9%
• Followed by India, Japan, Germany, Egypt, Indonesia, Switzerland, and Italy,these top 10 import sources made up 65.0% of total imports.
8. Top Customs Ports for Imports
• King Abdulaziz Sea Port (Dammam): 25.1%
• Jeddah Islamic Sea Port: 19.1%
• King Khalid International Airport (Riyadh): 15.3%
• King Abdulaziz International Airport: 9.8%
• King Fahad International Airport (Dammam): 6.0%
• These five ports together accounted for 75.3% of the Kingdom’s totalmerchandise imports.
