ISLAMABAD, May 22: Export of textile products geared up to $8.866 billion mark in the first 10 months (July-April) of the current fiscal year up 6.18 per cent from $8.350 billion over the same period last year.

Official figures released here by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) showed that export of almost all products, excluding raw cotton, cotton cloth, and cotton carded and bed wear recorded marginal growth during the period under review over the last year.

On monthly basis the export of textile products witnessed a negative growth of 0.08 per cent to $847.935m during the month of April as against $848.630 million during the same month last year.

After a growth in export in a row for the last few months, the textile products again dipped marginally during the month under review. With this decline the hope for achieving the export target of $18.6 billion is now a dream for the policy makers.

Detailed analysis of the commodities export showed that export of readymade garments witnessed a growth of 6.81 per cent to $1.145bn during the July-April period against $1.072 billion over the same period last year. A growth of 4.10 per cent in export of readymade garment was recorded in the month of April over the same month last year.

Statistics showed that the export of knitwear also recorded a growth of 13.93 per cent during July-April to $1.603 billion as against $1.407 billion last year.

Export of raw cotton, cotton cloth, and cotton carded and bed wear recorded a negative growth by 13.82 per cent, 6.61 per cent, 17.46 per cent and 3.99 per cent, respectively, during July-April over the same months last year.

Export of cotton yarn and other yarn was up by 4.67 per cent and 111.20pc, towels 2.58pc, tents, canvas 115.87 per cent, art, silk and synthetic textile 144.75 per cent, made-up articles 8.98 per cent and other textile materials 17.24 per cent during the period under review over last year.