Download - Based on CCIA-BML certified exports CCIA-BML Exports Report · CCIA-BML certified exports in the first half of 2019 During the first six months of 2019 the Chamber of Commerce, Industry

Based on CCIA-BML certified exports

CCIA-BML Exports Report First Half of 2019

CCIA-BML - Center for Economic Research 10-24-2019

Lana El Tabch Center for Economic Research at the CCIA-BML 1

Table of Contents

CCIA-BML certified exports in the first half of 2019 ......................................................... 3

CCIA-BML certified exports by weight ............................................................................. 4

Top export markets of CCIA-BML certified exports ......................................................... 5

Evolution of Lebanon’s main export markets over the past three years based on CCIA-

BML certified exports ....................................................................................................... 7

Geographical distribution of CCIA-BML certified exports ................................................ 7

Main products exported based on CCIA-BML certified exports ....................................... 9


The present report illustrates Lebanese exports data compiled solely based on

the certificates of origin issued by the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and

Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon (CCIA-BML). This data is therefore not

to be confused with the Customs data that tallies Lebanese exports on a national

scale. All the tables and charts of the report hence refer exclusively to the CCIA-

BML certified exports.


CCIA-BML Exports Report

CCIA-BML certified exports in the first half of 2019

During the first six months of 2019 the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture

of Beirut and Mount Lebanon (CCIA-BML) issued certificates of origin to exported

merchandise worth $1.42 billion, a 19 percent drop from the value of exports certified

during the first half of the previous year.

Exports of Lebanese origin formed 53 percent of total certified exports and reached $757

million in the first half of 2019, a four percent increase from their value during the first six

months of 2018.

Exports of foreign origin, which form 47 percent of total certified exports, showed a

remarkable decrease of 35 percent from their last year’s value during the same period.

It is worth mentioning that almost half of the total CCIA-BML certified exports are done by

local companies whereas the other half is made by offshore companies. This is correlated

with the fact that nearly half of the exports are of Lebanese origin while the other half are

of foreign origin.

CCIA-BML certified exports by month in H1 2019

Month

Exports of Lebanese origin

Exports of foreign origin

Total

(in million $) (in million $) (in million $)

Jan 83.35 88.371 171.721

Feb 179.68 136.257 315.936

Mar 158.472 109.671 268.144

Apr 161.257 109.478 270.735

May 93.414 113.545 206.958

Jun 80.388 106.567 186.955

Total 757 664 1,420

Share of total certified exports 53% 47%


Total CCIA-BML certified exports by month (in million $)

Month H1 2018 H1 2019 Change

Jan 288.7 171.721 -41%

Feb 356.4 315.936 -11%

Mar 310 268.144 -14%

Apr 307.1 270.735 -12%

May 247.4 206.958 -16%

Jun 232.3 186.955 -20%

Total 1,742 1,420 -19%

CCIA-BML certified exports by weight

By end of June 2019 Lebanese exports certified by the CCIA-BML weighed 3,222

thousand tons and the average value per ton stood at $441; compared to $732 in H12018,

a sharp decrease of 40 percent from last year’s half-yearly value.

Over the past 15 years, the average value per ton has more than doubled. This is possibly

indicative of a trend toward more sophisticated, high-value industrial production.

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Total

CCIA-BML certified exports by month in H1 2019

Total Exports of Foreign Origin Exports of Lebanese Origin


Top export markets of CCIA-BML certified exports

Lebanese exports, according to the CCIA-BML exports data, went to ten main markets of

Arab countries in the first half of 2019.

As seen in previous years, Egypt still occupies the first place on the list of Lebanon’s main

exports markets, according to the CCIA-BML exports data, total exports to Egypt and

accounted for 20 percent of total certified exports and amounted to $282.5 million in the

first six months of 2019, a marked 39 percent drop compared to the first half of 2018.

KSA formed the second largest export market for certified Lebanese exports as total

exports to that country accounted for 14 percent of total certified exports.

Qatar remains in the third position in the list of main export markets of CCIA-BML certified

exports with total exports to this market remaining nearly unchanged from last year’s

values and forming 13 percent of the total.

After being the second largest export market of CCIA-BML certified Lebanese

merchandise in 2018, Syria’s rank dropped to the fourth largest export market in H12019

and has imported $165.3 million worth of Lebanese products forming 12 percent of total

certified exports.

Together, Egypt; KSA; Qatar and Syria import nearly 60 percent of total certified

Lebanese merchandise in the first half of 2019.

Year Value of certified exports Tons Average value per ton

(in million $) (in thousand) (in $)

2014 3,007 4,736 635

2015 2,804 3,015 930

2016 2,954 5,156 573

2017 3,210 5,253 611

2018* 1,742 2,380 732

2019* 1,420 3,222 441

* first 6 months of the year


Top 10 export markets in 2018* Top 10 export markets in 2019*

Country Exports Country

Exports

(in thousands $) (in thousand $)

1 Egypt 461,038 1 Egypt 282,580

2 Syria 228,062 2 KSA 194,728

3 Qatar 186,366 3 Qatar 183,378

4 KSA 185,005 4 Syria 165,269

5 Iraq 169,966 5 UAE 143,017

6 UAE 114,733 6 Kuwait 103,798

7 Kuwait 95,151 7 Iraq 86,401

8 Jordan 58,568 8 Jordan 46,335

9 Turkey 25,984 9 Algeria 35,451

10 Algeria 21,084 10 Turkey 35,178

Total 1,545,957 Total 1,276,135

*first 6 months of 2018 *first 6 months of 2019

20%

14%

13%12%

10%

7%

6%

3% 2% 2%

Main export markets of CCIA-BML certified exports(First Half of 2019)

Egypt KSA Qatar Syria UAE Kuwait Iraq Jordan Algeria Turkey


Evolution of Lebanon’s main export markets over the past three years based on

CCIA-BML certified exports

Although Lebanese certified exports to Egypt were cut by half during the first half of 2019

compared to H12018, Egypt is still the largest export market of Lebanese certified

exported merchandise.

Over the past five years, exports to Egypt increased tremendously; they were multiplied

by a factor of 8 to reach $813 million by end of 2018 and $283 million in the first six

months of 2019, according to data tallied by the CCIA-BML based on certified exports.

This increase in due to the surge in the Lebanese exports of base metals and products

thereof to Egypt. These products formed 90 percent of Lebanese exports to Egypt in 2016

and 88.4 percent in 2017. Lebanon exported to Egypt $689 million worth of base metals

and products thereof in 2018 and $250 million in the first six months of 2019, as compared

to only $1.9 million in 2014.

Lebanese exports to Jordan were almost cut by half. After being the fourth largest export

market of CCIA-BML certified products in 2014, its rank dropped to the eighth top export

market in 2018 and in the first half of 2019. Exports to Jordan decreased by 60 percent

between 2014 and 2018 to reach $95.6 million in 2018 and $46.3 million during the first

six months of 2019.

Between 2014 and 2018 Exports to the UAE were multiplied by a factor of 2.24 and totaled

$380.6 million in 2018 and $143 million in H12019.

Geographical distribution of CCIA-BML certified exports

Over 90 percent of exports certified by the CCIA-BML went to Arab countries in the first

six-months of 2019, up from 76 percent in 2012. Followed by EU countries and African

non-Arab countries which imported 6.1 percent and 2.3 percent respectively. CCIA-BML

certified exports to Arab countries amounted to $1,281 million in the first half of 2019, a

19 percent drop from their value during the first half of 2018.


This geographical distribution of imports has been sustained over the past decade due to

the nature of Lebanese products that cater better to the demand of Arab markets, and to

the lack of compliance of Lebanese products to international norms and specifications

which hinders their access to more demanding markets such as the EU countries and the

US.

Geographical distribution of CCIA-BML certified exports*

Trading blocs Exports of

Lebanese origin Exports of foreign

origin Total Share

(in million $)

Arab countries 643,398,038 637,752,610 1,281,150,648 90.19%

America 8,058,208 2,251,495 10,309,703 0.73%

Africa (non-Arab countries) 17,268,351 15,689,333 32,957,684 2.32%

Asia (non-Arab countries) 5,965,988 1,651,140 7,617,128 0.54%

EU countries 80,439,175 6,389,024 86,828,199 6.11%

Australia 1,155,110 155,036 1,310,145 0.09%

Other countries 276,660 0 276,660 0.02%

Total 756,561,530 663,888,637 1,420,450,167 100

*first 6 months of 2019

The top European countries in terms of their imports of Lebanese products are: Turkey;

France; Italy; Switzerland; and Spain. Turkey imported 41 percent of products going to

the EU, followed by France which imported 17 percent of Lebanese certified products

going to that region. The value of Lebanese exports to Turkey and to France stood at $35

million and $15 million, respectively, during the first six months of 2019.

Exports to Turkey and to Switzerland are mainly chemical products or products of related

industries.


Main products exported based on CCIA-BML certified exports

Base metals and products thereof rank first in the list of main Lebanese products exported

according to the certificates issued by the CCIA-BML. Lebanon exported $308 million

worth of base metals in the first six months of 2019, a 48 percent drop from their value

during the first half of 2018. This category forms 21.7 percent of total Lebanese certified

exports. Base metals are mainly exported to Egypt; KSA and Jordan.

The second most important Lebanese product exported, based on CCIA-BML certified

exports data, is pearls; precious and semi-precious stones or precious metals which

constitutes 21 percent of total certified exports and stood at $298 million in H12019. The

largest export markets for this category are: Qatar; Kuwait and UAE.

The third largest category of Lebanese exports, as per data tallied by the CCIA-BML, is

the chemical products or related industries; which forms 13.6 percent of total Lebanese

certified exports. The biggest export markets for this category are: Iraq, Turkey and Syria

Lebanon has exported nearly $193 million worth of chemical products or related industries

in the first six months of 2019.

90.2%

0.7%

2.3%0.5%

6.1%

0.1% 0.0%

Geographical distribution of CCIA-BML certified exports(First half of 2019)

Arab countries America

Africa (non-Arab countries) Asia (non-Arab countries)

EU countries Australia

Other countries


Machinery and electrical equipment is the fourth largest category of Lebanese exports

according to the CCIA-BML certified exports; its share of total certified exports is 11.9

percent and its value has reached almost $169 million by end of June 2019. Export

markets of this category are: Syria, Iraq and UAE.

Main Lebanese products exported in H12019 based on CCIA-BML certified exports

HS Code Product description Exports of Lebanese

origin (in thousand $)

Exports of Foreign origin (in thousand $)

Total (in thousand $)

Share

15 Base metal and products thereof 23,956 284,124 308,080 21.7%

14 Pearls, precious and semi-precious stones or precious metals

297,969 416 298,385 21.0%

6 Chemical products or related industries 115,732 77,607 193,339 13.6%

16 Machinery and electrical equipment 80,523 88,548 169,071 11.9%

4 Food industry products, beverages, tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes

68,368 48,983 117,351 8.3%

10 Paper and paperboard and articles thereof 50,988 47,717 98,705 6.9%

2 Vegetable products 28,938 24,084 53,022 3.7%

7 Plastics and manufactured rubber and articles thereof

28,918 11,382 40,300 2.8%

1 Live animals; animal products 7,147 22,290 29,437 2.1%

Total 756,562 663,879 1,420,440

*first 6 months of 2019


0 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 300,000 350,000

Base metal and products thereof

Pearls, precious and semi-precious stones or precious metals

Chemical products or related industries

Machinery and electrical equipment

Food industry products, beverages, tobacco and manufacturedtobacco substitutes

Paper and paperboard and articles thereof

Vegetable products

Plastics and manufactured rubber and articles thereof

Live animals; animal products

Main Lebanese products exported in H12019 based on CCIA-BML certified exports(in thousand $)