Kuwait records a trade surplus of $220.6 million with Japan

Kuwait recorded a positive trade surplus with Japan worth $220.65 million in July 2026, contributing to a strong performance by the five Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Oman), which collectively posted a trade surplus of $4.22 billion, compared to $3.59 billion in the same month of 2025.

According to an economic statistic based on data released today by Japan’s Ministry of Finance, despite Kuwait achieving this surplus, bilateral trade activity experienced a relative slowdown. Kuwait’s exports to Japan fell by 27.08 percent, coinciding with a 24.61 percent decline in Kuwait’s imports from Tokyo during the same period.

On the GCC level, the statistic highlighted the resilience of strategic ties with Japan, particularly in the oil and gas sectors. Total trade value between the five countries and Tokyo rose by 10.10 percent to reach $7.99 billion in July, up from $7.26 billion in July 2025. This increase was driven by a surge in total GCC exports, which grew by over 12 percent to $6.10 billion, while GCC imports from Japan increased by more than 2 percent to $1.89 billion.

In terms of individual GCC shares, four countries recorded a trade surplus. Saudi Arabia led the list with a surplus of $2.30 billion, followed by the UAE with $1.52 billion, then Kuwait with $220.6 million, and Oman with $211.3 million. Conversely, Qatar recorded a trade deficit of $35.89 million, affected by an 86.44 percent drop in its exports. Saudi Arabia ranked first among GCC nations in export volume at $2.82 billion, while Oman recorded the largest jump in export growth at 248.66 percent. Regarding imports, the UAE accounted for the largest share, receiving Japanese goods worth $955.55 million, while Qatar recorded the lowest imports at $111.56 million.

On average, the trade surplus of Middle Eastern countries with Japan grew by 16.71 percent to $4.05 billion, driven by an 11.79 percent rise in exports (to $6.26 billion), against imports totaling $2.21 billion.

Globally, Japan faced notable import pressures, with its trade deficit with the world surging by 306 percent to nearly $4 billion. This was due to a 27.8 percent increase in imports to $76.49 billion, surpassing exports which stood at $72.49 billion.