ISLAMABAD, Aug 23: Pakistan has achieved a trade surplus of $404.4 million with ECO member countries during the financial year 2003-04, an official source told Dawn.

Pakistan's total exports to ECO countries during the year under review stood at $826 million, while it imported goods worth $421.6 million, showing a trade surplus of over $404.4 million.

According to the official, however, Islamabad had a trade deficit of $169.324 million during the year 2000-01 as total exports to ECO countries stood at $290.717 million while total imports were $460.041 million. Since then, the trade deficit turned into a trade surplus with these countries - $95.6 million in 2001-02 and $82.1 million in 2002-03.

The statistics showed that the trade surplus registered with ECO countries was due to rise in exports to Afghanistan followed by Turkey, Iran and Kazakhistan during the year 2003-04 over the corresponding year, while the imports increased from Iran followed by Turkey and Afghanistan during the same period.

During the year Pakistan's major regional trading partner was Afghanistan followed by Turkey, Iran, Turkemenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzistan, while the other trading partners remained at a very low level.

Official figures made available to Dawn showed that exports to Afghanistan during the year 2003-04 stood at $492.9 million as against $315.7 million the previous year, showing an increase of 56 per cent.

Kabul's exports to Islamabad stood at $47.4 million during the year under review as against $34.4 million the previous year, registering an increase of 36 per cent. Pakistan exported goods worth $92.4 million to Iran during the year 2003-04 against $63.2 million in 2000-01, showing an increase of 46 per cent.

While Tehran exported goods worth $283 million to Islamabad during the year against $303.3 million the previous year, showing a decline of 6.39 per cent. According to the statistics, Pakistan exported goods worth $218.8 million to Turkey during the year 2003-04 against $146.3 million the previous year, showing a increase of 49.5 per cent.

And Ankara exported goods worth $77.9 million the year against $125 million the previous year, a decrease of 37.68 per cent. Pakistan exports to Kazakhstan stood at $9 million during the year compared to $10.3 million the previous year, showing a decrease of 12.6 per cent.

While Kazakhstan's exports to Pakistan stood at $0.3 million against no export in the previous year. Out of Pakistan's total exports to other ECO member countries, Islamabad exported goods worth $6.6 million to Kyrgyzistan during the year 2003-04 against $1.5 million the previous year, an increase of 340 per cent; $0.3m worth goods to Tajikistan during the same period against $0.2m, an increase of 50 per cent; $1.3m worth goods exported to Turkemanistan against $1.7m, showing a decrease of 23.5 per cent.