October 11, 2002	Friday	Sha'aban 4, 1423

ISLAMABAD, Oct 10: Pakistan has achieved a trade surplus of $95.552 million with ECO-member countries during the financial year 2001-02, an official source told Dawn.

The total exports to ECO member countries during the financial year 2001-02 stood at $317.764 million, while total imports from these countries were $222.212 million during the same period, a trade surplus of over $95 million.

According to the official, however, Islamabad had a trade deficit of $169.324 million with ECO member countries during the financial year 2000-01 as total exports to these countries stood at $290.717 million during the same period while total imports from these countries were $460.041 million, showing a trade deficit of over $169 million.

The official further said that the trade surplus registered with ECO member countries was due to rise in exports to Afghanistan, Iran and Turkmenistan during the financial year 2001-02 over the corresponding year, while the imports decreased from Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey during the same period.

Pakistan’s major regional trading partner during the financial year 2001-02 was Afghanistan followed by Iran, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Kazakhistan, Uzbekistan while the other trading partners remained at a very low level.

Official figures made available to Dawn showed that Pakistan exports to ECO-member country Afghanistan during the year 2001-02 stood at $169.281 million this year against $140.404 million in the previous year, showing an increase of 20.56 per cent.

The Kabul exports to Islamabad stood at $22.858 million during the year 2001-02 against $ 29.528 million over the corresponding year, registering a decrease of 22.59 per cent.

Pakistan exported goods worth $29.188 million to Iran during the year 2001-02 against $23.867 million during the financial year 2000-01, showing an increase of 22.29 per cent.

And Tehran exports to Islamabad stood at $ 158.219 million during the year 2001-02 against $ 374.448 million exports during the year 2000-01, showing a decline of 57.74 per cent.

According to the statistics, Pakistan exported goods worth $98.256 million during the year 2001-02 against $ 100.513 million exports over the corresponding year, showing a decline of 2.24 per cent.

And Ankara exported goods worth $34.782 million during the year 2001-02 against $47.625 million over the previous year, showing a decrease of 26.96 per cent.

Pakistan exports to Uzbekistan fell by 48.34 per cent to $5.16 million during the year 2001-02 against $9.99 million over the corresponding year.

And Uzbekistan exports to Pakistan stood at $5.355 million during the year 2001-02 against $5.279 million in the previous year, showing a marginal increase of 1.43 per cent.

Out of Pakistan’s total exports to other ECO member countries: Islamabad exported goods worth $8.589 million to Kazakhistan during the year 2001-02 against $9.719 million over the corresponding year, a decrease of 11.62 per cent; $1.092 million worth goods to Kyrgyzstan against $2.621 million of corresponding year, a decrease of 58 per cent; $1.631 million worth goods to Tajikistan during the same period this year against $2.035 million, a decrease of 20.55 per cent, $3.779 million goods were exported to Turkmenistan against $0.710 million, showing an increases of 432 per cent.

And Kazakhistan exported goods worth $0.329 million to Pakistan during the financial year 2001-02 against $0.453 million in the year 2000-01, showing a decrease of 27.37 per cent; Kyrgyzstan export to Pakistan stood at $0.012 million during the same period against $0.011 million, an increase of 9 per cent; Tajikistan exported goods worth $ 0.04 million to Pakistan against $0.624 million of the corresponding year, showing a decrease of 93.58 per cent; Turkmenistan exports to Pakistan stood at $0.615million during the same period against $1.259 million over the corresponding period, showing a decrease of 51.1 per cent.