RIYADH: Saudi commodity exports dropped by 8.9 percent to SR1.28 trillion in 2014, compared to SR1.40 trillion in 2013, local media said quoting a report released by the Central Department of Statistics and Information (CDSI).

The CDSI report attributed the fall in the Saudi exports to decline in oil exports by 11.6 percent to SR1.06 trillion compared to SR1.2 trillion in the previous year.

Oil exports were down by 14.8 percent to SR939 billion whereas exports of refined oil products grew by 22 percent to hit SR127.6 billion, the report said.

Exports of mineral products, including oil, topped the list of exported commodities and fetched SR1.06 trillion, 83.17 percent of the total exports, whereas chemical products were the second top exports at SR74 billion, or 5.76 percent of the total exports, the report said.

Plastic and rubber products were the third top exports at SR71 billion, or 5.54 percent of the total exports.

Meanwhile, raw materials represented 76.22 percent of the Kingdom’s total exports in 2014 valued at SR978 billion, followed by semi-manufactured products at 12.83 percent and manufactured items at 10.95 percent, the report said.

According to the CDSI report, the volume of Saudi exports to the following group of countries in the year 2014 were as follows: Asian countries (non-Arab and non-Islamic) SR685 billion, North American countries SR170.7 billion, European Union (EU) countries SR156 billion, and the GCC countries SR96.7 billion.

On the other hand, the United States topped the biggest five recipients of the Saudi exports in 2014 at SR162 billion, followed by China (SR160.6 billion), Japan (SR156.8 billion), South Korea (SR123 billion), and India (SR113.8 billion), the report said.

Meanwhile, Kingdom’s imports registered a growth of 3.4 percent in 2014 to reach SR652 billion compared to SR630.6 billion in 2013, the report said.

Equipment, machinery and electrical utensils captured the highest value of Saudi imports in 2014 at SR171 billion, or 26.23 percent of the total value of imports, followed by transport materials at the value of SR108.6 billion, or 16.66 percent, ordinary metals and their products at SR79.9 billion, or 12.24 percent, and chemical products at SR56 billion, or 11.3 percent, the report said.

As regards top countries from where the Kingdom imported commodities in 2014, China came at the top at 13.36 percent, followed by the United States at 13 percent and Germany at 7.22 percent, according to the report.