Fish exports increase 23pc

ISLAMABAD: The exports of fish and fish preparations increased by 23 percent during the month of November 2014 compared to the same month of last year.

The seafood exports in November 2014 were recorded at $35.387 million compared to the exports of $28.772 million in November 2014, according to the latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

In terms of quantity, the fish exports increased from 10,428 metric tons last November to 15,520 metric tons in November 2014, showing an increase of 48.83 percent.

Meanwhile, on month-on-month basis, the fish exports increased by 2.89 percent in November 2014 compared to the exports of $34.393 million in October 2014.

In terms of quantity, the seafood exports increased by 12.73 percent in November 2014 when compared to the exports of 13,767 metric tons in October 2014, the PBS data revealed.

Meanwhile, the overall exports of fish and fish preparations witnessed increase of 0.67 percent during the first five months of the current year compared to the exports of corresponding period of the last year.

Seafood exports were recorded at $148.500 million in July-November (2014-15) compared to the exports of $147.514 million in July-November (2013-14), the PBS data revealed.

In terms of quantity, the seafood exports increased 2.75 percent by going up from the trade of 56,457 metric tons last year to 58,008 metric tons duirng the period under review.

It is pertinent to mention here that the exports of food group witnessed negative growth of 0.35 percent during the first five months of the current year.

The food exports duirng the period under review were recorded at $1.611 billion compared to the exports of $1.616 billion in July-November (2013-14).

The overall exports from the country decreased by 4.19 percent during first five months of current financial year as during the period from July-November exports were recorded at US$ 9.92 billion compared to US$ 10.356 billion during the same period of last year.

Imports into the country stood at US$ 20.373 billion as compared to the imports of US$ 18.110 billion last financial year.

Based on the figures, the over all trade deficit during first five months of current financial year increased by 34.78 percent when compared to the deficit of first five months of last financial year.