KARACHI: A considerable increase was witnessed in the import pattern on Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2015 as imports of several goods almost doubled in the outgoing fiscal year compared with previous fiscal year.
According to the details, the import of woven pile fabric and chenille fabric under Afghan Transit Trade surged 61.9 percent to Rs 34.088 billion in fiscal year 2015 as against Rs 21.016 billion in fiscal year 2014. However, country’s own import of the similar goods stood at Rs 185 million in fiscal year 2015 as against Rs 143 million in fiscal year 2014.
ATT imports of woven fabrics of cotton in fiscal year 2015 stood at Rs 14.887 billion as against Rs 6.373 billion in fiscal year 2014; Narrow woven fabric import stood at Rs 12.86 billion in fiscal year 2015 as against Rs 6.537 billion in fiscal year 2014; palm oil and its fractions worth Rs 17.44 billion were imported under ATT as against Rs 11.53 billion in fiscal year 2014.
Animal or vegetable fats and oils under ATT during fiscal year 2015 surged to Rs 18.705 billion, up 51 percent from Rs 9.989 billion last year. Pakistan import similar goods worth Rs 1.56 billion in fiscal year 15 as against Rs 1.57 billion in fiscal year 2014.
Similarly, imports of TV receivers in fiscal year 2015 under ATT surged to Rs 13.56 billion from Rs 8.668 billion in fiscal year 2014; meat, edible offal and poultry imports by Afghan importers during fiscal year 2015 stood at Rs 7.223 billion as against Rs 3.765 billion in fiscal year 2014; petroleum and mineral oils’ import in fiscal year 2015 stood at Rs 5.919 billion as against Rs 3.28 billion in fiscal year 2014.
Imports under ATT of polymers of vinyl chloride during fiscal year 2015 stood at Rs 2.22 billion compared with Rs 918 million in fiscal year 2014; similarly imports by Afghan traders of several goods including medicaments, margarine, edible mixtures of vegetable and animal fats, plastic sheets, foils and strips, air conditioning machines, and glassware have increased significantly in fiscal year 2015 as against fiscal year 2014.