ISLAMABAD: The country’s exports during September 2020 amounted to Rs313,324 million (provisional) against Rs265,600 million (provisional) in August 2020 and Rs275,724 million during September 2019 showing an increase of 17.97 percent over August 2020 and of 13.64 percent over September 2019.
According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data, released on Saturday, in terms of US dollars, the exports in September 2020 stood at $1,889 million (provisional) as compared to $1,584 million (provisional) in August 2020, showing an increase of 19.26 percent and by 7.03 percent as compared to $1,765 million in September 2019. Exports during July–September 2020 totaled Rs912,579 million (provisional) against Rs869,030 million during the corresponding period of last year showing an increase of 5.01 percent.
In terms of US dollars, the exports during July–September 2020, totaled $5,474 million (provisional) against $5,510 million during the corresponding period of last year showing a decrease of 0.65 percent.
Main commodities of exports during September, 2020 were knitwear (Rs49,166 million), bed wear (Rs37,699 million), readymade garments (Rs37,189 million), cotton cloth (Rs26,924 million), towels (Rs11,859 million), rice others (Rs11,166 million), made-up articles (excl. towels and bedwear) (Rs10,409 million), cotton yarn (Rs9,178 million), basmati rice (Rs7,451 million), and fish and fish preparations (Rs6,207 million).
Imports into Pakistan during September, 2020 amounted to Rs716,717 million (provisional) as against Rs556,064 million (provisional) in August, 2020, and Rs588,164 million during September 2019 showing an increase of 28.89 percent over August, 2020, and of 21.86 percent over September 2019.
In terms of US dollars, the imports in September, 2020, were $ 4,321 million (provisional) as compared to $3,316 million (provisional) in August, 2020, showing an increase of 30.31 percent and by 14.74 percent as compared to $3,766 million in September 2019.
Imports during July–September, 2020, totaled Rs1,885,444 million (provisional) as against Rs1,765,972 million during the corresponding period of last year showing an increase of 6.77 percent.
In terms of US dollars, the imports during July–September, 2020 totaled $11,311 million (provisional) as against $11,199 million, during the corresponding period of last year, showing an increase of 1.00 percent.
Main commodities of imports during September, 2020, were petroleum products (Rs62,311 million), petroleum crude (Rs41,288 million), palm oil (Rs37,529 million), plastic materials (Rs31,252 million), mobile phones (Rs30,937 million), iron and steel scrap (Rs29,931 million), power generating machinery (Rs26,268 million), iron and steel (Rs24,979 million), natural gas, liquefied (Rs24,313 million), and electrical machinery and apparatus (Rs19,864 million).
Textile sector registered 11 percent growth.
Petroleum group registered 29 percent decline in imports.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020