ISLAMABAD, Aug 9: The exports of finished products surged by 14.82 per cent to $821.43 million in July, 2003, over the corresponding period of previous year, according to detailed provisional external trade figures released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics here on Saturday.
Their share in total exports ($890.03 million) also rose to 92.29pc, as compared to 92.01pc for the month of 2002-03.
Nevertheless, the stridency that had marked the previous several months in 2002-03 was not evident during the first month of the new financial year (2003-04).
Thus textile manufactures, totalling $692.29 million registered a growth of only 4.51pc over the corresponding month. It was, however, down by as much as 17.50pc from the previous month (June, 2003).
Not unexpectedly, therefore, their share in total exports slid to 67.67pc - a drop of 2.90pc from July of previous year.
A significant aspect of the textile manufactures figures is the relatively poor performance of cotton yarn and cotton cloth. Their exports, in aggregate, stood at $165.01 million as against $193.64 million in July 2002. Their share in total textile manufactures exports thus plummeted by 3.20pc to 27.40pc.
On the positive side, all the categories of textile manufactures, but one (readymade garments), indicated steady improvement in unit prices. Thus although the export of cotton yarn fell in quantity (36,032 tons) by 25.32pc, the accrual in dollars ($66.43 million) suffered reversal by a lower margin of 17.94pc.
The quantity of cotton cloth exported during the period under review was 149,789 thousand square meters - down 15.96%, but its value ($98.57 million) was lower by only 12.52%.
Bedwear remained the top earner of foreign exchange with proceeds in foreign exchange amounting to $116.22 million, up 20.37% from July, 2002, against 9.88% increase in quantity.
Close behind it was knitwear with exports amounting to $113.55 million, denoting an increase of 23.11pc in value for that of 14.55pc in quantity.
Towels exports declined quantitatively by 1.14pc. But in value, their earning in foreign exchange ($29.00 million) registered an increase of 20.24pc over the corresponding period.
The proceeds from the export of art. silk & synthetic textiles ($50.26 million) jumped by 21.66pc as against 4.54pc increase in quantity.
Quantity-wise, the exports of readymade garments went up by 3.61pc, while in dollars the accrual ($92.56 million) was up by only 0.13pc. Tents, canvas and tarpaulin posted a vertical drop of 24.32pc (quantity). The only saving grace in this is that their value ($2.86 million) dropped by 21.53pc.
OTHER MANUFACTURES: The exports in this category stood at $128.60 million, denoting a decline of 2.59pc from July 2002. But when compared to June, 2003, the value of their exports fell by 14.42pc. The share of this category in total exports too was down by 1.72pc from 16.17pc of corresponding period of previous year.
The figures present a mixed picture in respect of traditional groups of items in this category. Carpets exports ($14.63 million) fell by 11.49pc over July 2002, sports goods ($15.61 million) by 11.03pc, leather tanned ($8.27 million) by 53.96pc, leather manufactures ($25.73 million) by 12.15pc, footwear ($4.24 million) by 27.60pc and surgical goods ($5.5 million) by 29.99pc.
Exceptions to this general negativity were the petroleum crude, petroleum products and cutlery. The value of their exports is reported as $8.99 million, $11.04 million and $1.77 million, up by 39.89pc, 77.40pc and 7.38pc, respectively, from July 2002.
Among traditional categories, chemicals and pharmaceutical products raked in $18.56 million. But these denoted a substantial decline of 20.27pc, as compared to corresponding month.
But Engineering goods posted an increase of 30.32pc with exports worth $5.82 million, while their contribution to Other Manufactures rose dramatically from a mere 0.55pc to 4.53pc.
The exports of onyx manufactures, jewellry and furniture fetched a total amount of $34.98 million, up by 0.20 million from corresponding period of previous year.
The category of miscellaneous items ($90.52 million) accounted for 10.17pc of total exports, almost doubled to that in July 2002. As compared to July 2002, the category posted an increase of 96.54pc.
PRIMARY COMMODITIES: The exports in this category stood at $68.60 million denoting a growth of 10.22pc.
According to FBS figures, the month saw an export of 123,853 tons, up by 10.35pc over July 2003. But its value registered an increase of 24.31pc, indicating substantial increase in unit price.
The quantity of cotton exported in July 2003 was 1,182 tons, down 79.52pc from July 2002, while the foreign exchange fetched by it ($1.33 million) was down by 67.32pc.
The country also exported 21,628 tons of wheat as against 94,762 tons exported during the same period of last year. The figures also indicate a slight increase in unit price of wheat.
Among traditional exports, fisheries fetched $9.86 million, up 127.80pc from corresponding period against an increase of 28.66pc in quantity (4,152 tons).