LAHORE, Dec 10: Carpet exports showing an upward trend during the past few months declined sharply in November both in terms of value and volume. The exports declined by 37 per cent in Dollar terms , 34 per cent in rupee terms and 43 per cent in quantity terms.

Overall carpet exports during July-November declined to Rs5.137 billion as compared to Rs5.292 billion during the corresponding period in 2003 showing a fall of 2.95 percent.

In dollar terms, the carpet export income fell from $91.3 million in July-November last year to $86.99 million this year showing a 5.38 per cent decline. A 13 per cent decline was observed in exports, which reduced from 1.689 million square metres during the period under review last year to 1.465 million square metres this year.

Commenting on the fall in exports carpet industry spokesman Naeem Tahir Sheikh said that the international market had been favourable for Pakistani carpets during the past few years but the industry failed to take advantage of the situation due to lack of organised research and coordinated marketing.

Only a few individual exporters had kept up the momentum on their own but the association failed to play any role in improvement in quality. He said that the association should bring together all the carpet exporters for planning improvement in quality and production facilities besides developing a long-term strategy for marketing of products in line with the emerging trends.

The industry should make arrangements for display of its products at Domotex, the largest carpet fair in the world, being held in January.