March 11, 2003	Tuesday	Muharram 7, 1424

ISLAMABAD, March 10: Textile manufactures raised their share in total exports to 70.79 per cent during the July-February 2002-03 period, as against 69.92 per cent during the corresponding period of previous year, according to the foreign trade figures compiled by the Federal Bureau of Statistics.

The remaining 29.21 per cent of the total exports amounting to $6.91 billion was accounted for other manufactures (18.81%) and others (7.66%). Viewed from another angle, the overall exports figure includes manufactured exports worth $6.27 billion and primary commodities ($650.71 million).

The comparative statistics show that the manufactured exports constituted 90.59% of the total exports figure, indicating some decline from 90.91% of the previous year. But rather than indicating a slowdown, this fact is explained by 23.22% increase in exports of primary commodities.

As regards manufactured exports, these swelled by 18.58%. In absolute terms, this is $981.62 million more than the corresponding period of previous year.

TEXTILE MANUFACTURES: With their exports amounting to $4.43 billion, textile manufactures registered an increase of 20.04% over the same period previous year. Nearly one-third (32.67%) of this figure was accountable to semi-manufactures, that is, cotton yarn and cotton cloth. Their combined export figure stands at $1.44 billion, up 35.29% from previous year.

Taken separately, cotton cloth exports fetched $832.82 million and cotton yarn $616.09 million, denoting an increase of 18.66% and 2.33%, respectively.

Significantly, almost all the items were exported at increased unit price. Perhaps for this reason, the finished textile products were able to outperform cotton yarn in terms of their foreign exchange earnings.

Cotton cloth improved its quantitative export by 9.50% against almost double increase in its dollar earnings. The quantity of bedwear exported during the period under review surged by 21.47%, but its foreign exchange earnings rose 33.89% to $784.57 million. Towels earned $206.37 million, that is, 22.39% more than during previous year, against quantitative increase of 16.92%.

Particularly remarkable was the performance of readymade garments with exports worth $708.117 million. This is 23.84% more than for previous year, although in quantity, its export was down by 12.29%. Likewise, art, silk & synthetic textiles raised their exports by 11.62% (quantity) but with an increase of 23.78% in their value. The madeup articles (including other textiles) also increased their foreign exchange earnings by 2.02% to $222.85 million.

The only items, which did not share in the increasing unit price were, cotton yarn, knitwear and tents, etc. The quantities of their exports increased by 3.68%, 37.40% and 10.81%, respectively. Similarly, their foreign exchange earnings ($616.098 million, $832.82 million and $35.51 million) too went up substantially (by 2.23%, 27.82% and 8.98%), but in proportions lower than their quantitative performance.

OTHER MANUFACTURES: The exports of other manufactures surged by 8.57% over the corresponding period of previous year. But their share in total exports was down to 18.81%, as against 20.61% of the period July-February, 2001-02.

The main contributory factor was the decline in exports of tanned leather and leather manufactures. Their combined export earnings during the period under review amounted to $402.82 million, registering a loss of nearly 1.92 million. This pulled their share in other manufactures by 5 percentage points to 30.97%.

However, sports goods exports surged by 12.12%, increasing their contribution to other manufactures figure by 0.48% to 14.62%. The engineering goods exports increased by 43.16% with their share rising from 2.45% to 3.23%.

The chemicals group also registered impressive improvement (82.46%). It raised its share in other manufactures by over 5 percentage points to 12.52%.

Other non-traditional items are also emerging as prospective new factors in export earnings of Pakistan. Thus, the exports of gems swelled in value by 223.68% ($1.46 million), jewellery by 107.64% ($14.76 million) and furniture by 47.44% ($5.20 million).

OTHERS: This category maintained its stridency by recording an increase of 35.37% over the previous year. With their exports amounting to $529.57 million, their share in total exports moved up to 7.66%, as against 6.73% during previous year.

PRIMARY COMMODITIES: An intriguing aspect of this category’s performance is the sharp fall in share of rice in its exports. The country exported 11,20,115 tons of rice during the period under review — 1.64% less than during the same period of previous year. But its value (334.62 million) swelled by 14.19%.

Even so, the share of rice in primary commodities exports plummeted from 55% to 36%.

Wheat was the second highest item of export. The quantity of wheat exported during the current year so far is 931,356 tons, the value of which amounted to $103.197 million.