ISLAMABAD, Oct 8: Pakistan’s trade surplus with the United Kingdom increased by more than 36 per cent to $431.748 million during the fiscal 2002-03, over $302.302 million achieved in the previous year.

Officials told Dawn on Wednesday that the increase in trade surplus with the UK was due to increase in export of textile products, rice and leather goods during the year under review. The trend, they said, had persisted during the first three months of the current financial year.

Pakistan has been enjoying significant trade surplus with the UK since 2000. It was $225.769 million in the year 2000-01; $302.302 million in 2001-02; $431.748 million in 2002-03; and $39.610 million during the first month of the year 2003-04.

Official statistics made available to Dawn on Wednesday showed that Pakistan exported goods worth $787.973 million to the UK during the year 2002-03 against goods worth $659.071 million exported in the previous year, showing an increase of 19.5 per cent.

And UK exports to Pakistan slightly decreased by 0.15 per cent to $356.225 million during the year 2002-03 against $356.769 million of the previous year.

Product wise major exports to the UK showed that Islamabad exported $271.931 million worth of made-up articles of textile materials to the UK during the fiscal 2002-03 against $202.156 million in the previous year, showing an increase of 34.5 per cent; $203.319 million worth apparel and clothing accessories of textile material against $146.796 million in the previous year, an increase of 38.5 per cent; $21.507 million worth cereals and cereals preparations against $15.389 million in the previous year, an increase of 39.75 per cent.

And exports of chemical materials and products to the UK during the period under review stood at $13.542 million against $1.457 million in the previous year, showing an increase of 829 per cent; manufactures of leather stood at $9.677 million against $0.612 million, an increase of 1481 per cent; and sports goods and toys stood at $26.069 million against $25.673 million, an increase of 1.54 per cent.

According to the statistics, Pakistan’s exports of professional and scientific instruments declined by 24.32 per cent to $11.890 million in the year under review against $15.712 million in the previous year; carpets and rugs by 22.6 per cent to $12.181 million against $15.753 million in the previous year; molasses by 23.9 per cent to $9.935 million against $13.062 million in the previous year; cotton fabrics (woven) by 1.58 per cent to $57.389 million against $58.314 million in the previous year; and synthetic fabrics by 12.87 per cent to $28.397 million against $32.593m in the previous year.

And the UK exported $149.541 million worth machinery (all kind) and parts to Pakistan during the fiscal 2002-03 against $150.467 million in previous year, showing a decline of 0.6 per cent; $14.647 million worth iron, steel and manufactures against $18.465 million, a decrease of 20.6 per cent; $6.997 million worth raw cotton against $1.773 million, showing an increase of 294 per cent; $10.380 million worth ores and concentrates of iron and steel against $27.179 million, showing a decrease of 61 per cent.