ISLAMABAD, May 25: Export of non-textile products witnessed a marginal growth of 2.11 per cent in the 10 months of this fiscal year from a year ago, mainly driven by increase in export of cement, sugar and jewellery.
However, export of traditional products, like sports goods, surgical instruments, rice and carpets witnessed a substantial decline during the period under review, suggested data compiled by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
In absolute terms, export of non-textile products totalled $9.397bn in July-April 2012-13 as against $9.202bn in the corresponding period last year.
A decline of 7.29pc was noted in the export of carpets while sports goods dipped by 3.08pc.
Foreign sales of footballs dropped 6.18pc while gloves registered an increase of 12.08pc during the period under review.
Export of gur rose 8.07pc, cement 20.13pc, handicraft 644.49pc, furniture 19.16pc, jewellery 76.95pc and gems 15.73pc during July-April 2012-13.
Contrary to this, export of surgical goods and medical instruments fell by 1.96pc, engineering goods 1.98pc.
The exports of leather made-ups rebounded as it recorded a growth of 4.65pc during the July-April period of the current fiscal year over the last year.
This growth was mainly driven by an increase of 10.19 pc in export of leather garments.
The country’s export of traditional products witnessed substantial decline in the current fiscal year mainly due to high input cost and low demand from the emerging markets because of recession.
These products were also facing stiff competition from China and India.
The export of food items witnessed an increase of 12.27pc during the July-April period of the current fiscal year as it stood at $3.953bn in July-April period of the current fiscal year as against $3.521bn last year.
This growth was mainly driven by unprecedented increase in export of sugar during the period under review. Pakistan exported 774,876 metric tonnes sugar during July-April period of the current fiscal year.
In terms of value, export proceeds of sugar stood at $393.165m in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year as against $14.947m during the corresponding period of last year.
Export of meat, oil, spices, fruits, vegetables and fish also witnessed an increase during the period under review.
Rice export witnessed a decline of 7.41pc during the July-April period of the current fiscal year over last year. Of these, export of basmati rice declined by over 22.94pc during the period under review. However, export of non-basmati rice surged by 2.37pc.