According to the Industrial Information Department of the Ministry of Industry, the total value of industrial exports during the first nine months of the year 2017 amounted to about $1.82B compared to $1.89B during the same period of the year 2016, which is equivalent to a decrease in exports of 19% compared to 2016.
The total value of industrial exports in September 2017 was nearly $167.6 M compared to $184.3M in September 2016.
Some products witnessed an increase in their exports value; however, this rise was overcome by the significant decrease in the exports’ value of other products. In details, the exports of base metals and articles of base metal increased from $16.2M in September 2016 to $24.3M in September 2017. Also, the increase of the exports of pearls, precious or semi-precious stones and precious metals was $7.5M higher in September 2017 compared to September 2016 to reach $14.9M.
On the other side, products with a decreased exports value were Machinery and Electrical equipment: exports products in this category decreased from $47.3M in September 2016 to $25.6M in September 2017. Indeed, the decrease in the exports of these products was to Iraq mainly amounting to $10.94M in September 2016 compared to only $3.6M in September 2017. Also, exports of paper and paperboard articles dropped from $11.2M in September 2016 to $7.6M in September 2017 due to lower exports to Iraq and Syria.
The total import value of industrial machinery and equipment in September 2017 reached about $30.1M compared to $16.2M during the same period in 2016. The top import source was Italy in providing Lebanon with industrial machinery and equipment amounting to about $5.6M; the most predominant imports of machines are destined for the food industry followed by machines for the paper and cardboard industry.
Value of Industrial Exports by Product Category ($M)
| Goods | Sep-16 | Sep-17 | Variation 2016/2017 |
| Animal products | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| Vegetable products | 4 | 2.7 | -1.2 |
| Fats and edible fats and oils | 2.9 | 1.8 | -1.1 |
| Prepared foodstuffs and tobacco | 30.7 | 27.9 | -2.8 |
| Mineral products | 0.7 | 0.5 | -0.2 |
| Products of the chemical industries | 31.2 | 34.8 | 3.6 |
| Plastics and rubber and articles thereof | 11.9 | 11.6 | -0.2 |
| Raw hides and skins, leather, fur skins and articles thereof | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| Wood and articles of wood | 0.9 | 0.7 | -0.2 |
| Paper and paperboard and articles thereof | 11.2 | 7.6 | -3.6 |
| Textiles and textile articles | 6.2 | 4 | -2.2 |
| Footwear, headgear, prepared feather | 0.8 | 0.2 | -0.5 |
| Articles of stone, plaster, cement; glass and glassware | 1.4 | 1.5 | 0.1 |
| Pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, precious metals and articles thereof (Excluding unworked diamonds, silver and gold Ingots)[1] | 7.4 | 14.9 | 7.5 |
| Base metals and articles of base metal | 16.2 | 24.3 | 8.1 |
| Machinery and electrical equipment | 47.3 | 25.6 | -21.7 |
| Transport equipment | 1.3 | 1.5 | 0.2 |
| Optical, measuring, medical, and musical instruments; clocks and watches | 1.2 | 2.4 | 1.3 |
| Arms and ammunition | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Miscellaneous manufactured articles | 8 | 4 | -3.9 |
| Total | 184.3 | 167.6 | -16.7 |
Source: Ministry of Industry