ISLAMABAD: The team imports into the country witnessed increase of 3.19 percent during the first eleven months of the fiscal year 2016-17 compared to the imports of the same period of last year.

The overall tea imports into the country during July-May (2016-17) were recorded at $491 million compared to the imports of $475.821 million recorded during July-May (2015-16), according to official data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

In terms of quantity, the tea imports into the country increased by 17.65 percent, as it increased from the imports of 159,003 metric tons last year to 187,070 metric tons during the period under review.

The overall food imports into the country increased by 15.96 percent during the period under review.

The food imports during July-May (2016-17) were recorded at $5, 650 million compared to the imports of $4,873 million during the corresponding period of fiscal year 2015-16, the data revealed.

Meanwhile, on year -on-year basis, the tea imports into the country witnessed increase of 6.19 percent during May 2017 compared to the imports of May 2016.

The tea imports into the country during May 2017 were recorded at $38.754 million compared to the imports of $36.495 million during May 2016, according to the data.

On month-on-month basis, the tea imports however witnessed decrease of 5.29 percent in May 2017 when compared to the imports of $40.917 million during April 2017.

The overall food imports into the country during the month of May 2017 increased by 10.44 percent when compared to the imports of same month of last year.

The food imports during May 2017 were recorded at $556.901 million compared to the imports of $504.246 million in May 2016.

On month on month basis, the overall food imports increased by 16.25 percent in May 2017 when compared to the imports of $569.380 million in April 2017, according to the PBS data.