ISLAMABAD, March 23: Export of traditional domestic items like carpets, sports goods, surgical instruments, leather items and footwear declined by more than 15 per cent during the first eight months of the current fiscal year as compared to the same period last year.

Figures compiled by the commerce ministry for July 2006-February 2007 indicated that export of sports goods declined by 14.97 per cent against the corresponding period of the previous year. Football export declined by 22.19 per cent but that of gloves surged by 173.49 per cent.

Export of carpets, rugs and mats dropped by 15 per cent and leather goods by 34.43 per cent. Leather garments’ export declined by 33.33 per cent, gloves by 32.03 per cent and other leather goods by 47.93 per cent.

Footwear export declined by 18.08 per cent. Export of leather footwear dipped by 18.56 per cent, canvas footwear by 39.47 per cent and other footwear by 9.61 per cent. Export of surgical instruments and medical equipment declined by 33.99 per cent.

Export of Basmati rice soared by 22.78 per cent but that of other varieties dropped by 17.2 per cent.

The data showed that export of engineering goods rose by 7.09 per cent, automobile parts by 20.41 per cent, cement 14.7 per cent, gems 15.86 per cent, jewellery 66.36 per cent, gur and its products 20.13 per cent and molasses 16.48 per cent.

The total export of non-textile products recorded a growth of 0.23 per cent as it stood at $3.9 billion as against $3.89 billion during the same period of the last financial year.