June 10, 2003	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 9, 1424

ISLAMABAD, June 9: Exports of textile manufactures surged by 23.31 per cent to $6,417.83 million during the period July-May 2002-03 as compared to the corresponding period of previous year.

As a result, according to the analysis of foreign trade figures released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics here on Monday, their share in overall exports ($9,892.17 million) stood at 64.88 per cent as against 63.70 per cent during July-May 2001- 02, thus further reducing the contribution of other categories to exports.

As a proportion of manufactured exports ($8,980.67 million), the textile manufactures accounted for 71.46 per cent during the first 11 months of the current financial year. This denotes an increase of 1.55 per cent over their share in exports for the same period of previous year.

More than 36.05pc of the foreign exchange earnings of textile manufactures were, however, accounted for by the semi-processed categories — cotton yarn and cotton cloth. This shows an increase of over 4pc over the same period of previous year. Their combined exports totalled $2,052.76 million, registering an increase of over 9pc over previous year.

Quantity-wise, cotton yarn export (484,820 tons) was lower by 1.67pc but the foreign exchange that accrued from it ($859.89 million) was higher by 1.10pc. Similarly, the country exported 1,819,159 thousand square meters of cotton cloth, that is 4.76pc more, while the foreign exchange earning ($1,192.87 million) exceeded that of the same period of previous year by 16.26pc.

With one exception, all the finished product categories depicted the same improvement in terms of trade. Thus the quantity of bedwear exported (217,651 tons) surpassed previous year’s export by 32.26pc, but foreign exchange it fetched ($1178.17 million) was higher by 42.11pc.

A 24.52-per cent increase was recorded in the quantity of towels export (88,554 tons) against accrual of foreign exchange ($328.93 million), that was 36.87pc more.

Tents, canvas and tarpaulin earned $61.27 million — 34.34pc more than during previous year — for export of 26,946 tons, which exceeded their export of same period of 2001-02.

The export of art, silk and synthetic textile (675,187 thousand square meters) outstretched previous year’s figure by 13.83pc, but in foreign exchange earnings, it improved its performance by 32.55pc.

There was a quantitative decline of 9.86pc in the export of readymade garments (33,990 thousand dozens), but it brought in 26.87pc more foreign exchange ($989.59 million).

Similarly, art, silk and synthetic textile ($320.12 million) registered a growth of 2.50pc. Its performance in terms of quantity is not specified in the FBS data.

Knitwear stands out as the category that did not fare as well as other textile manufactures in terms of trade. The country exported 45,902 thousand dozens of knitwear, which was 43.24pc more than during previous year. But it fetched 33.04pc less foreign exchange ($998.39 million).

OTHER MANUFACTURES: Although their exports (1,813.72 million) registered an increase of 7.81pc over July-May 2001-02, their share in total exports indicated decline — from 20.59-20.59pc in 2001-02 to 18.33pc during the period under review.

In this group, most of the traditional categories reflected a declining trend. Thus carpet exports (193.43 million) declined by 10.35pc, leather manufactures ($333.18 million) by 2.85pc, petroleum crude ($34.82 million) by 48.67pc and surgical goods ($129.02 million) by 1.26pc.

Encouragingly, non-traditional categories continued to surge. Thus chemicals and pharmaceutical products, with exports worth $230.30 million, increased by 73.30pc and engineering goods ($60.72 million) by 38.37pc.

Other non-traditional items too depicted similar stridency. These included manufactured onyx (21.27pc), gems (57.30pc), jewellery (8.17pc) and furniture (42.02pc). Their combined foreign exchange earnings amounted to nearly $40 million.