UAE 2025 goods trade revised to a $60.5bn deficit after exports are cut

The UAE now shows a goods trade deficit for 2023 to 2025

The goods trade balance is the value of goods a country exports minus the value it imports. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut UAE exports of goods that are not assigned to any partner country. These fell from about $167bn (billion US dollars) to $35bn per year.

• Total UAE exports for 2025 are now $425.7bn, down from $558.3bn.
• The 2025 goods balance moves from a +$89bn surplus to a -$60.5bn deficit.
• The balance is now negative for 2023–25 as well.

Regional export totals are lower, but world goods trade is still growing fast

The UAE revision carries through to the totals for the Middle East, for MENAP (the IMF's Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan group) and for fuel-exporting countries. Middle East exports for 2025 fall to about $1.07tn (trillion US dollars). World goods exports for the second quarter (Q2) of 2026 were trimmed to $7.52tn. That is still +17% on the year in nominal dollars, which means not adjusted for price changes.

Global reserves rose in August and inflation in Laos eased

• World total reserves are the foreign currency and gold that central banks and other monetary authorities hold, with gold valued at market prices. They were revised up to $19.01tn for August 2026. That is up $423bn from July but still below February's $19.87tn.
• In Laos, annual inflation measured by the consumer price index (CPI), which tracks the prices households pay, eased to 7.7% in October from 10.2% in April.
• North Macedonia's gross domestic product (GDP), the total value of goods and services the economy produces, was revised about 7% higher. GDP for 2024 now stands at MKD 1.03tn (trillion Macedonian denars).