Country exposure · QA

Qatar
Middle East · Doha · absolute monarchy
What Qatar means for your money — the prices you pay, the tariffs in motion, and where U.S. policy could change both.

$2.1B
U.S. imports, 2025
+12.4%
change in one year
$4.4B
U.S. exports, 2025
3M
Population
$218.0B
GDP
In your house
What you buy that Qatar makes
America bought $2.1B in goods from Qatar in 2025. Of every $100 of it, here's where the money went.
Petroleum products, other
gasoline and petroleum products
U.s. goods returned, and reimports
Chemicals-fertilizers
Fuel oil
fuel oil
Bauxite and aluminum
aluminum for cans and autos
Other precious metals
Gas-natural
Chemicals-inorganic
Chemicals-other, n.e.c.
Sulfur, nonmetallic minerals
2026 so far (through April): $658M in imports. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Trade in Goods (customs basis).
The other direction
What America sells to Qatar
$4.4B in 2025 — a trade rupture cuts both ways, for American producers as well as American prices.
Civilian aircraft, engines, equipment, and parts
$2.1BIndustrial machines, other
$209MPassenger cars, new and used
$166Mnew and used cars
Tanks, artillery, missiles, rockets, guns and ammunition
$147MIndustrial engines
$134MJewelry, etc.
$118Mjewelry
Chemicals-other
$117MElectric apparatus
$117MPharmaceutical preparations
$98Mmedicines and pharmacy items
Where you stand
U.S. tariff posture toward Qatar
No U.S. tariff action singles this country out. Its goods face the universal 10% temporary import surcharge under Section 122 of the Trade Act (which replaced the IEEPA reciprocal baseline in February 2026) plus the sectoral Section 232 duties — steel and aluminum at 50% — that apply to all countries. The Section 122 surcharge is statutorily temporary — scheduled to lapse on or about July 23, 2026 (a 150-day cap) unless extended or replaced.
Reciprocal tariff (universal baseline)
10%
The universal 10% floor — a Section 122 import surcharge since February 2026, previously the EO 14257 reciprocal baseline — applies to nearly all U.S. imports. This country has no higher assigned rate of its own.
Policy in motion
Tariff status: a moving target
No U.S. tariff action names Qatar. These are the universal measures — applied to every country without a country-specific arrangement — that set its treatment.
2026-04-06
Section 232 metals coverage expanded
In effectThe April 2026 proclamation strengthening Section 232 actions on aluminum, steel, and copper expanded derivative-product coverage for all countries, keeping the general metals rate at 50%.
91 FR 18201 →2026-02-24
IEEPA reciprocal tariffs terminated — replaced by 10% Section 122 surcharge
In effectExecutive Order 14389 (Ending Certain Tariff Actions) terminated the IEEPA tariff duties — including the EO 14257 reciprocal baseline — effective February 24, 2026. A flat 10% Section 122 temporary import surcharge (Proclamation 11012 of February 20, 2026) replaced them, leaving the universal rate unchanged at 10% on a different statutory basis. Section 122 caps such surcharges at 150 days, so this 10% surcharge is scheduled to lapse on or about July 23, 2026 absent further action (the administration has signaled it could raise the rate toward the 15% statutory maximum).
91 FR 9437 →2025-11-13
Agricultural products exempted from reciprocal tariffs
In effectExecutive Order 14360 of November 14, 2025 removed reciprocal duties from certain agricultural products listed in its annexes (coffee, cocoa, bananas, and other goods the U.S. does not produce in sufficient quantity), retroactive to November 13, 2025 — for all countries subject to the reciprocal tariff.
90 FR 54091 →2025-06-04
Section 232 steel and aluminum duties doubled to 50%
In effectThe June 3, 2025 proclamation raised Section 232 duties on steel and aluminum articles and derivatives from 25% to 50% for all countries, effective June 4, 2025.
90 FR 24199 →2025-04-05
Universal 10% reciprocal baseline takes effect
In effectExecutive Order 14257 (signed April 2, 2025) imposed a 10% ad valorem reciprocal duty on imports from all trading partners, effective April 5, 2025. Countries without a higher Annex I rate remain at this baseline.
Federal Register · 2025-06063 →2025-03-12
Section 232 steel and aluminum duties set at 25% for all countries
In effectProclamations of February 10, 2025 terminated all country exemptions and quota arrangements and applied 25% Section 232 duties to steel and aluminum imports from every country, effective March 12, 2025.
90 FR 9817 →
Made for America
What Qatar makes for America
Qatar is a direct U.S. source of 4 essential goods Americans rely on — the items themselves, shipped finished off the line.
Go deeper
The supply chain view
Qatar sits upstream of 22 essential American goods through 12 tracked inputs.
mineral
39%Helium-rich natural gas feedstock
chemical
34%Helium (Grade 5.0 / Fiber-Drawing Grade)
mineral
32%Semiconductor-Grade Helium (6N)
mineral
30%Liquid nitrogen (helium pre-cooling)
energy
11%LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas — Propane + Butane)
energy
10%Natural Gas
Reference
The country itself
Middle East · Geography, people, economy, and government — public-domain data from the CIA World Factbook.
Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar within the last 60 years transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant hydrocarbon revenues. Former Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, who overthrew his father in a bloodless coup in 1995, ushered in wide-sweeping political and media reforms, unprecedented economic investment, and a growing Qatari regional leadership role, in part through the creation of the pan-Arab satellite news network Al-Jazeera and Qatar's mediation of some regional conflicts. In the 2000s, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and by 2007, Doha had attained the highest per capita income in the world. Qatar did not experience domestic unrest or violence like that seen in other Near Eastern and North African countries in 2011, due in part to its immense wealth and patronage network. In mid-2013, HAMAD peacefully abdicated, transferring power to his son, the current Amir TAMIM bin Hamad. TAMIM is popular with the Qatari public for his role in shepherding the country through an economic embargo from some other regional countries, for his efforts to improve the country's healthcare and education systems, and for his expansion of the country's infrastructure in anticipation of hosting international sporting events. Qatar became the first country in the Arab world to host the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2022. Following the outbreak of regional unrest in 2011, Doha prided itself on its support for many popular revolutions, particularly in Libya and Syria. This stance was to the detriment of Qatar’s relations with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which temporarily recalled their respective ambassadors from Doha in 2014. TAMIM later oversaw a warming of Qatar’s relations with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in November 2014 following Kuwaiti mediation and signing of the Riyadh Agreement. This reconciliation, however, was short-lived. In 2017, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE (the "Quartet") cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar in response to alleged violations of the agreement, among other complaints. They restored ties in 2021 after signing a declaration at the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia. In 2022, the United States designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally.

Geography
- Location
- Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
- Area
- 11,586 sq km
- Climate
- arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
- Terrain
- mostly flat and barren desert
- Natural resources
- petroleum, fish, natural gas
- Coastline
- 563 km
- Natural hazards
- haze, dust storms, sandstorms common
People & society
- Population
- 2,568,426 (2025 est.)
- Nationality
- Qatari(s)
- Ethnic groups
- non-Qatari 88.4%, Qatari 11.6% (2015 est.)
- Languages
- Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
- Religions
- Muslim 65.2%, Christian 13.7%, Hindu 15.9%, Buddhist 3.8%, folk religion <0.1%, Jewish <0.1%, other <1%, unaffiliated <1% (2020 est.)
- Median age
- 34.4 years (2025 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth
- 80.3 years (2024 est.)
Economy
- Economic overview
- high-income, oil-and-gas-based Middle Eastern economy; implementing “National Vision 2030” government strategy for economic development, diversification, and favorable business conditions to boost investment and employment; expansion of LNG sector expected to boost growth; Islamic finance leader
- Industries
- liquefied natural gas, crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizer, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair
- Agricultural products
- dates, chicken, tomatoes, camel milk, vegetables, cucumbers/gherkins, pumpkins/squash, eggs, sheep milk, eggplants (2023)
- Exports - partners
- China 18%, India 11%, S. Korea 10%, Japan 7%, Pakistan 6% (2023)
- Imports - partners
- USA 12%, China 12%, UAE 9%, UK 7%, India 5% (2023)
Government
- Government type
- absolute monarchy
- Capital
- Doha
- Independence
- 3 September 1971 (from the UK)
- Constitution
- previous 1972 (provisional); latest drafted 2 July 2002, approved by referendum 29 April 2003, endorsed 8 June 2004, effective 9 June 2005
- Executive branch
- Amir TAMIM bin Hamad Al Thani (since 25 June 2013)
- Legislative branch
- Shura Council (Majlis Al-Shura)
Full reference data
Every field, by section — CIA World Factbook. Open a topic to expand it.
Introduction
Travel Facts
Please visit the following links to find further information about your desired destination.
World Health Organization (WHO) - To learn what vaccines and health precautions to take while visiting your destination.
US State Dept Travel Information - Overall information about foreign travel for US citizens.
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Page last updated: Thursday, May 09, 2024