ISLAMABAD: The country’s textile group exports have witnessed 9.06 percent growth during the first nine months (July-March) 2020-21 and remained at $11.355 billion compared to $10.412 billion during the same period last year, says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The exports and imports data released by the PBS revealed textile group exports have witnessed an increase of 9.85 percent in March 2021 as it stood at $1.355 billion compared to $1.234 billion during February 2021. Textile group exports have registered a growth of 30.38 percent on year-on-year basis as it reached $1.355 billion in March 2021 compared to $1.039 billion in March 2020.

Raw cotton exports registered 96.51 percent decline during July-March 2020-21 and remained at $0.593 million compared to $17.002 million during the same period of last year. Raw cotton exports remained zero during March 2021 and were also zero in February 2021.

Cotton yarn exports registered 12.03 percent decline during July-March 2020-21 and remained at $721.212 million compared to $819.808 million during the same period of last year.

Cotton yarn exports declined by 4.77 percent during March 2021 and remained at $114.523 million compared to $120.261 million during February 2021 and increased by 39 percent when compared to $82.39 during the same month of last year.

Petroleum group imports witnessed a decline of 15.13 percent as it reached $7.55 billion during July-March 2020-21 compared to $8.9 billion during the same period of last year.

Petroleum group imports witnessed an increase of 65 percent as it reached $1.108 billion in March 2021 compared to $668 million during March 2020 and registered 37.7 percent growth when compared to $804.85 million in February 2021.

Construction machinery imports have witnessed massive decline of 38.07 percent during the July-March 2020-21 and remained at $104.61million compared to $168.916 million during the same period of last year.

The country’s exports during July–March, 2020-2021 totaled $18.688 billion (provisional) against $17.443 billion during the corresponding period of last year showing an increase of 7.14 percent. The exports in March 2021 were $2.365 billion (provisional) as compared to $2.068 billion (provisional) in February, 2021 showing an increase of 14.36 percent and by 30.66 percent as compared to $1.810 billion in March 2020.

The country’s imports during July–March, 2020-2021 totaled $39.519 billion (provisional) as against $34.791 billion during the corresponding period of last year showing an increase of 13.59 percent.

The imports in March 2021 were $5.660 billion (provisional) as compared to $4.601 million (provisional) in February, 2021 showing an increase of 23.02 percent and by 71.10 percent as compared to $3.308 billion in March 2020.

The country’s trade deficit widened by 20.08 percent to $20.83 billion during July-March 2020-21 compared to $17.34 billion during the same period (July-March) of 2019-20.

Main commodities of exports during March 2021 were knitwear (Rs48,974 million), readymade garments (Rs40,088 million), bed wear (Rs36,726 million), cotton cloth (Rs28,691 million), rice others (Rs21,606 million), cotton yarn (Rs17,869 million), basmati rice (Rs13,112 million), towels (Rs12,705 million), made up articles (excl towels and bedwear) (Rs9,285 million), and fish and fish preparations (Rs8,177 million).

Main commodities of imports during March 2021 were petroleum products (Rs87,479 million), palm oil (Rs42,994 million), petroleum crude (Rs42,041 million), iron and steel (Rs38,174 million), natural gas, liquefied (Rs36,156 million), plastic materials (Rs35,799 million), mobile phone (Rs35,029 million), electrical machinery and apparatus (Rs30,060 million), power generating machinery (Rs26,675 million), and raw cotton (Rs25,254 million).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021