March textile exports dip by 21pc

RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Exports of textile products declined by 21 percent in March this year to $1.04 billion against $1.329 billion for the same period last year, trade figures released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed on Wednesday.

PBS data showed that exports of textile products declined considerably, both in term of volume and value during the first nine months of the current fiscal year by comparison with the same period last year.

Exports of textile group declined by 9.4 percent in July 2011-March 2012 to $9.019 billion against $9.966 billion for the same period last year.

Product-wide analysis showed that except for raw cotton, tents, canvas and tarpaulin, exports of all products declined in terms of value and volume during the first nine months of the current fiscal year.

In terms of volume, export of cotton yarn declined to 398,846 tons in July-March 2011-12 from 428,251 tons for the same period a year ago, cotton cloth from 1,668,771 square metres to 1,333,868 square meter. The export of cotton carded comb was said to have declined from 22,842 tons last year to 5,203 tons and knitwear from 143,659 thousand dozens to 73,347 thousand dozens.

Exports of cotton yarn, in term of value, declined to $1.264 billion in July 2011-March 12 from $1.697 billion for the same period last year, showing a decline of 25.54 per cent, cotton cloth after a decline of 4.6 percent to $1.751 billion from $1.835 billion. Cotton carded or combed and cotton yarn also declined by 73.45 per cent and 4.39 percent to $22 million and $10 million, respectively, from $30 million and $32 million.

Analysis of the data showed that exports of knitwear dropped by 12.42 percent to $1.469 billion during first nine month of the current fiscal year from $1.678 billion for the same period of last year, bedwear after a 12.74 percent decline to $1.311 billion from $ 1.502 billion. Exports of towel dipped to $492 million after a decline of 7.82 per cent from $534 million.

Exports of readymade garments decreased to $1.203 billion during July 2011-March 12 from $1.228 billion a year ago, depicting a fall of 1.96 percent. Art silk and synthetic textile exports also decreased to $414 million, down by 4.99 percent from $435 million for the same period last year. Meanwhile, exports of made-up textiles declined by 9.43 percent during the first eight months to $411 million from $454 million for the same period last year.

The raw cotton and tents, canvas and tarpaulin have been the only two sectors in textile group which have shown positive growth in exports during July 2011-March 2012 against the same period last year. Raw cotton exports went up by 30.87 percent to $362.041 million in July 2011-March 2012 over $276.634 million last year and exports of tents, canvas and tarpaulin increased to $68 million from $30 million last year, reflecting a growth of 125 percent.