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ISLAMABAD, March 9: Exports of textile manufactures during the first eight months of 2003-04 surged by 15.74 per cent as compared to corresponding period of previous year.
According to the provisional external trade figures released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics here on Tuesday, this category of exports stood at $5142.18 million, accounting for 35.03pc of overall exports of Pakistan ($7877.53 million). Thus their share in total exports registered an increase of 2.67pc over the same period of 2002-03.
The share of textile manufactures in the finished goods exports ($7230.40 million) category, consequently, rose to 71.12pc. In July-February of 2002-03, they had contributed 70.93pc to finished goods exports.
In their turn, the finished goods exports registered a growth rate of 15.43pc, increasing their share in total exports to 91.79pc, as against 90.51pc of the corresponding period of previous year.
Apparently, however, these impressive figures are the cumulative achievements of the period July-January 2003-04. The momentum of earlier part of the year seems to have exhausted itself in February 2004.
In that month, the overall exports declined by 17.50pc over the previous month and likewise, the export figures of textile manufactures and other manufactures too plummeted by 19.20pc and 37.99pc, respectively.
TEXTILE MANUFACTURES: Within this category, the foreign exchange proceeds of the semi-processed goods (cotton yarn and cotton cloth) aggregated at $1801.30 million. With the resultant growth rate of 25.38pc increase over the previous year, these accounted for 35.03pc of total textile manufactures earnings.
Taken separately, the country exported 353,792 tons of cotton yarn - 0.23pc more than in the comparable period of 2002-03. But the proceeds in dollars ($748.04 million) were up by 22.57pc.
The quantity of cotton cloth exported in July-February of 2003-04 is reported as 14,80,207 thousand square meters. This means an increase of 15.36pc but the foreign exchange earned by it ($1053.26 million) went up by 27.27pc.
In respect of finished goods with optimal value-addition, a mixed picture emerges from a closer look at the FBS figures. Among these, the export receipts of knitwear ($912.80 million), the second highest source of foreign exchange earnings after cotton cloth among Textile Manufactures, were up by 29.45pc against increase in quantity (40,262 thousand dozens) of 25.33pc.
Bedwear fetched $884.36 million - 12.13pc more than the corresponding period from the export of 156,720 tons, denoting agrowth rate of 8pc. The third item which showed positive growth during the period under review was towels.
Their exports grossed $239.67 million, up 16.54pc from the corresponding period. This item too was marketed at higher unit price, as indicated by only 7.21pc increase in quantity (61,736 tons).
Readymade garments, with export earnings worth $647.74 million, were down by 8.58pc against a decline of 25.64pc in the quantity (18,033 thousand dozens). Although the export of art. silk & synthetic textile (4,80,832 thousand square meters) shows a decline of 0.20pc, its foreign exchange proceeds ($344.93 million) were up by 4.81pc.
The item which continues to show negative trends is "tents, canvas & tarpaulin". Its quantitative export (19,051 tons) not only fell by 0.90pc, the 4.14pc increase in export receipts ($41.60 million) shows drop in unit price too.
PRIMARY COMMODITIES: The foreign exchange proceeds of primary commodities ($647.13 million) declined by 1.46pc during the period under review. Of this, 61.76pc was provided by rice.
