LAHORE: Exports of textile products from the country witnessed positive growth of 7.59 per cent during the first seven months of the current fiscal year when compared to the corresponding period of last fiscal year.
The overall textile exports from the country were recorded at $ 8.035 billion during July-January (2013-14) as compared to the exports of $ 7.468 billion during July-January (2012-13), latest official data said.
The textile products that witnessed positive growth in trade included raw cotton, exports of which increased by 70.21 per cent by surging from $90.506 million last year to $154.047 million during current year. The exports of cotton cloth increased from $ 1.528 billion last year to $ 1.645 billion during current fiscal year, showing an increase of 7.62 per cent while the exports of cotton (carded or combed) increased by 460 per cent, from $ 0.596 million to $ 2.336 million.
According to the data, the exports of yarn (other than cotton yarn) increased by 17.22 per cent by going up from $ 25.988 million to $ 30.462 million while the exports of knitwear increased by 6.82 million by surging from $ 1.224 billion last fiscal year to $ 1.308 billion this fiscal year. Exports of bed wear increased from $ 1.032 billion to $ 1.237 billion, showing increase of 19.83 per cent. Exports of readymade garments increased from $ 1.026 billion to $ 1.105 billion, an increase of 7.65 per cent while exports of art, silk and synthetic textile increased from $ 200 million to $ 211 million, showing increase of 5.69 per cent.
The other textile products that witnessed increase in exports included made up articles (excluding towels and bed wear), exports of which increased by 18.52 per cent by going up from $ 332.184 million to $393.707 million.
The textile products that witnessed negative growth in exports during the period under review included cotton yarn, exports of which decreased from $ 1,269 billion to $ 1.204 million, showing a decrease of 5.1 per cent. Similarly, the exports of towels decreased by 5.19 per cent by falling from $ 447.629 million last fiscal year to $ 424.415 million this fiscal year whereas the exports of tents, canvas and tarpaulin decreased by 17.34 per cent by going down from $ 62.285 million to $ 51.487 million, the data revealed.
Meanwhile, textile exports showed an increase of 3.60 per cent to $1,097.368 million in January 2014 as against exports of $ 1,059.283 million in December 2013.
It is pertinent to mention here that the country’s trade deficit narrowed by 4.55 per cent during first seven months of current fiscal year as exports expanded by 4.64 per cent while imports going slightly up by 0.48 per cent as compared to the same period of last fiscal year.
Total exports from the country during July-January (2013-14) were recorded at $ 14.699 billion against the exports of $ 14.047 billion recorded during July-January 2012-13. Total imports into the country during the period under review were recorded at $ 25.808 billion against the imports of $ 25.685 billion during the corresponding period of last fiscal year.
Based on the figures, the trade deficit during July-January (2013-14) was recorded at $ 11.109 billion against the deficit of $ 11.638 billion during July-January (2012-13).
