ISLAMABAD, Feb 24: Exports of traditional domestic items like rice, carpets, sports goods, surgical instruments, leather, and footwear declined by more than 20 per cent during the first seven months (July 2006-January 2007) of the fiscal 2006-07 against figures for the same period last year.
However, data compiled by the commerce ministry showed an upward trend in exports of other commodities like cement, gur and gur products, jewellery, precious and semi-precious gems and engineering goods. These products’ export recorded a double-digit growth during the same period by comparison with last year’s figures.
Pakistan, once renowned for its exports of high-quality of traditional products like footballs and surgical instruments and leather products, has been losing its foothold in international markets for the past couple of years, but the government has not yet taken any remedial action like granting subsidies to these sectors. At present, subsidy is only allowed to textile-based industries.
Official figures showed that the export of rice, with the exception of Basmati, dipped by 2.87 per cent during the period under review. The export of Basmati rice, however, soared by 24.39 per cent. Export of other rice, however, dropped by 22.67 per cent during the same period.
The export of sports goods declined by 18 per cent during the first seven months of the outgoing fiscal against figures for the same period last year. Football export declined by 20.67 per cent but exports of gloves surged by 120.23 per cent during the same period.
The export of carpets, rugs and mats recorded a negative growth of 13.92 per cent, and leather goods (garments and gloves) by 33.21 per cent during the first seven months of the current fiscal year over the last year’s figures. Leather garments’ exports declined by 32.33 per cent, leather gloves 27.28 per cent and other leather goods by 51.65 per cent.
Footwear export declined by 17.30 per cent during the July 2006-Jan 2007 over the same period last year. Of these, exports of leather footwear dipped 18.34 per cent, canvas footwear 27.49 per cent and other footwear 6.63 per cent. Exports of surgical instruments and medical equipment declined by 34.81 per cent.
The data compiled by the commerce ministry also showed that the exports of engineering goods rose up by 3.76 pc, automobile parts 12.61 per cent, cement 18.85 per cent, gems 14.02 per cent, jewellery 25.41 per cent, gur and gur products 18.62 per cent and molasses 26.36 per cent during the seven-month period of over the last year’s figures.
