BEIJING, Jan 28: Pakistan’s exports to China showed an upward trend, registering an increase of about 39.2 per cent last year, according to the Chinese Customs authority. Exports from Pakistan amounted to $832 million during January-December, 2005, compared to $594 million in the same period of the previous year. Therefore, Pakistani exports to China increased by $238 million during one year.

The Custom sources said here on Saturday there was a considerable jump in export of items like cotton yarn, cotton fabrics, leather, chromium ore, copper and fish. The Chinese side calculates the export figures on the basis of the origin of the exported items, including those which come to the mainland through Hong Kong.

When asked to comment on future prospects of Pakistan’s trade with China, Commercial Counsellor in Pakistan Embassy Shahid Mahmood said there was still a great room for enhancing exports, particularly of the value-added textile products including cotton fabrics, Man-made fabrics, home textiles and towels.

The growing Chinese market also provides wide opportunities to Pakistani traders to enhance their export in non-traditional items like sports and engineering goods, handicrafts, marble, onyx, jewellery and agro-based products.

Pakistan’s exports to China is likely to get a further boost with the reduction of tariff on a number of items under the Early Harvest Programme that came into effect from January, 2006. The margin of duty-reduction from the Chinese side is around 27 per cent.

Shahid Mahmood expressed the hope that the trade volume will increase in the coming months, when the list of export items to China will also include rice, mango and some other agro-based products. There are bright prospects of taking Pakistan’s annual export volume to one billion dollar by 2008.

An official of the Chinese commerce ministry suggested that the maximum number of Pakistani businessmen should visit China to explore new openings in the trade sector.

The two sides have now resorted to economic diplomacy to exploit their deep-rooted traditional political and diplomatic ties for the economic uplift of their peoples. Over the years, the leadership of the two countries has laid greater thrust on the development of their mutually beneficial economic partnership, economic experts added.—APP