ISLAMABAD: Exports to Afghanistan dropped by around nine per cent in the first half (July-December) of 2013-14 compared with the year-ago period, a commerce ministry report said on Tuesday.

Official figures compiled by the ministry showed that exports to the neighbouring country fell by 8.84pc to $927.577 million in July-Dec FY14 as against $1.017 billion over the same period of the previous year.

However, the report didn’t mention any reason for the decline.

The half-year statistics showed that Pakistan’s ex­­ports to the United States wit­­nessed a marginal in­­crease of 1.90pc to $1.908bn as against $1.872bn.

Exports to China, which has emerged as the second biggest exports destination of Pakistan after the US, rose 1.96pc to $1.317bn compared to $1.291bn in the corresponding period last year.Exports to the UAE fell by 29.72pc to $1.035bn during the period under review as against $1.472bn a year earlier.

Pakistan’s exports to Afghanistan reached $2.3bn in FY13 as against $2.249bn in FY12, showing a marginal increase. The figure was $1.11bn in 2005-06 and $386.67m in 2002-03.

In January this year, the commerce ministry changed the export regime with Afghanistan, allowing exporters to switch over from the rupee to the dollar.

The government also allowed export of all products from Ghulam Khan checkpost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier, it was only used for export of cement to Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd , 2014