RIYADH: According to official figures, Saudi Arabia maintained a merchandise trade surplus of almost SR18 billion ($4.8 billion) in June as a slowdown in exports was somewhat offset by a drop in imports. According to the General Authority for Statistics, imports decreased by 3% in June compared to the same month last year, while merchandise exports decreased by 4.5%. Compared to June 2025, the merchandise trade surplus shrank by 10%.
While their percentage of the export mix increased from 70.4 percent a year earlier, oil shipments, which made up 72 percent of all exports, decreased by 2.3 percent. The numbers were released after Saudi Arabia adjusted its energy and trade flows to a significant disturbance in the region. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was impacted by the US-Iranian confrontation, thus the Kingdom used its Red Sea infrastructure and other alternate routes more frequently.
“Non-oil exports, including re-exports, recorded a decrease of 9.7 percent compared to June 2025, while national non-oil exports, excluding re-exports, decreased by 11.4 percent,” according to GASTAT’s most recent data.
A 41.7 per cent decline in machinery, electrical equipment, and parts—which made up 36.1 per cent of all re-exports was the primary cause of the 6.7 per cent decline in the value of re-exported products in June. Plastics, rubber, and associated products remained the largest export category among non-oil commodities, making up 20.7% of all non-oil exports, despite a 12.8% decrease in shipments from the previous year. 19.2 percent came from chemical goods and related businesses, which saw a 30.4 percent fall.
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