The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Lebanese global shipments during 2018. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Lebanon.

1. Gems, precious metals: US$660.8 million (20.2% of total exports)
2. Vehicles: $226.4 million (6.9%)
3. Electrical machinery, equipment: $179.1 million (5.5%)
4. Plastics, plastic articles: $178.7 million (5.5%)
5. Machinery including computers: $167.7 million (5.1%)
6. Perfumes, cosmetics: $127.5 million (3.9%)
7. Iron, steel: $123.3 million (3.8%)
8. Vegetable/fruit/nut preparations: $104.8 million (3.2%)
9. Copper: $93.8 million (2.9%)
10. Fruits, nuts: $78.2 million (2.4%)

Lebanon’s top 10 exports accounted for 59.2% of the overall value of its global shipments.

Plastics including articles made from plastic was the fastest-growing among the top 10 export categories, up by 33.7% from 2017 to 2018.

In second place for improving export sales was iron and steel which appreciated 33%.

Lebanese shipments of fruits and nuts posted the third-fastest gain in value via a 31.4% increase, ahead of Lebanon’s exported copper (up 23%).

At the more granular four-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, gold and diamonds (both 8.8% of total) represent Lebanon’s most valuable export products for 2018. In third place were shipments of cars (6.2%) trailed by iron or steel scrap (3.6%), electric generating sets or converters (2.7%), copper waste or scrap (also 2.7%) then jewelry (2%) and phosphatic fertilizers (also 2%).

Eight categories of Lebanese exported products generated positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.

In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.

1. Lead: US$31.1 million (Up by 10.5% since 2017)
2. Vegetable/fruit/nut preparations: $22.3 million (Up by 0.9%)
3. Fertilizers: $19.6 million (Up by 119.7%)
4. Books, newspapers, pictures: $14.5 million (Down by -46.2%)
5. Inorganic chemicals: $4.9 million (Reversing a -$11.3 million deficit)
6. Raw hides, skins not furskins, leather: $2.7 million (Reversing a -$1.6 million deficit)
7. Collector items, art, antiques: $2.5 million (Up by 14.9%)
8. Miscellaneous animal-origin products: $984,000 (Down by -258.7%)

Lebanon has highly positive net exports in the international trade of lead and miscellaneous items made from lead. In turn, these cashflows indicate Lebanon’s strong competitive advantages under the lead product category.

Overall Lebanon incurred a -$16.7 billion product trade deficit for 2018. That deficit reflects a 19.2% expansion in red ink from one year earlier.

Below are exports from Lebanon that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Lebanon’s goods trail Lebanese importer spending on foreign products.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: -US$4 billion (Up by 24.2% since 2017)
2. Vehicles: -$1.4 billion (Up by 32%)
3. Pharmaceuticals: -$1.3 billion (Up by 13.6%)
4. Machinery including computers: -$1.1 billion (Up by 15.1%)
5. Electrical machinery, equipment: -$911 million (Up by 67.7%)
6. Gems, precious metals: -$591.5 million (Up by 82.3%)
7. Iron, steel: -$544.2 million (Up by 10.7%)
8. Plastics, plastic articles: -$459.5 million (Up by 1.4%)
9. Live animals: -$408.8 million (Up by 41.1%)
10. Dairy, eggs, honey: -$353.4 million (Up by 26%)

Lebanon has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits under the mineral fuels including oil category, notably for refined petroleum oils, petroleum gases and petroleum coke.

Lebanese Export Companies

Two regional banks headquartered in Lebanon rank among Forbes Global 2000, namely Bank Audi and Blom Bank.

Wikipedia lists exports-related companies from Lebanon. Selected examples are shown below:

• Bonjus (juice)
• Château Musar (winery)
• IXSIR wine (winery)
• Massaya (winery, distillery)
• Middle East Airlines (airliner)
• Tabbah (jewelry)