Indo-Qatar trade at 3.16 bln riyals in March 2005

Dubai, June 25 (UNI) Bilateral trade between Qatar and India totalled 3.16 billion riyals last year, official figures show.

Qatar exported goods worth 2.4 billion riyals to India between April 2004 and March 2005, a bulk of which were liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil and fertilisers.

''Qatar's exports to India rose significantly after its LNG started flowing to India from January 2004 onwards,'' a statement from India's Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics said.

India exported goods worth 759.6 million riyals to Qatar in the same period that included cement and construction materials, textiles, electronic and electrical items and foodstuff.

The figures of Indian exports would have been far higher than the figures indicated because a significant chunk of the exports to the Gulf are now routed through Dubai, sources said.

India is now the eighth largest destination of Qatar's exports behind Japan, South Korea and Thailand among other countries.

UNI XC DKS/PV BD1628