The textile quota exports to USA, Europe, Canada and Turkey showed a big jump of 31 percent in value and 17 percent in quantity during the first two months of the new quota year 2004.
According to the provisional figures recorded by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) up to March 9, the highest jump 79 percent was recorded in value of exports to Turkey followed by European Union (EU) 46 percent and USA 10.6 percent. Exports to Canada dropped by 23 percent in value during the same period.
In quantity terms the quota exports registered an increase of 29.3 percent for Turkey followed by EU 19.9 percent and USA 4.5 percent. Canada registered a negative growth of 29 percent.
The total quota exports during the first two months and nine days of the new quota year were 651.8 million square meter (Sme) worth dollar 518.9 million compared to 557 million Sme worth dollar 395.8 million.
Of these exports to USA were 118.4 million Sme worth dollar 182 million; EU 474 million dollar 310.4 million; Canada 4.1 million dollar 5.4 million and Turkey 55.1 million Sme worth dollar 20.9 million.
The average unit price of Pakistani quota exports were up by 38.4 percent in case of Turkey followed by EU 21.8 percent, Canada 7.7 percent and USA 5.8 percent.
It may be pointed out that this is the last quota year and all textile quotas would be eliminated from January 2005 with the beginning of the new WTO trade regime.
The Quota Supervisory Council (QSC) has suggested improvements in the quota management policy for the last year in order to get the maximum benefits from textile quotas.