Textile exports up over 15pc

ISLAMABAD - Despite prevailing power crisis, exports of textile industry showed unexpected growth of over 15 percent in December, which is positive sign for the overall exports of the country that has been on the declining side since the start of ongoing financial year.
With the start of winter season, not only gas loadshedding is creating problems for the textile units but electricity outage is also on peak.
Export of textile industry has increased to $ 831 million in the month of December 2009 from $ 720 million in the same month of December 2008 showing an increase of 15.38 percent, Federal Bureau of Statistics reported on Wednesday.
However, it showed negative growth of 0.57 percent in the first half (July-December) of 2009-10 over the corresponding period of 2008-09. According to the figures, textile export had decreased to $ 5.035 billion in July-December period from $ 5.063 billion against same period of previous fiscal year.
Export of following textile items in July-December increased as follows: raw cotton, 127.56 percent; cotton yarn, 25.66 percent; yarn, 46.32 percent; readymade garments, 1.66 percent; art silk and synthetic textile, 110.40 percent; made up articles, 0.57 percent; and other textile materials, 39.60 percent.
Meanwhile, according to the figures, the following items of textile group showed negative growth: cotton cloth, 27.48 percent; cotton carded, 90.85 percent; knitwear, 6.51 percent; bed wear, 6.12 percent; towels, 5.20 percent; and tents, 8.26 percent, in the first six months of 2009-10.
Similarly, export of traditional products of food group went down by 11.64 percent. Among these, the export of rice declined by 18.42 percent during July-December, which stands at $ 1.468 million against $ 1.662 billion in the same period last year. In the rice group, the export of Basmati went down by 42.49 percent, whereas export of other items increased by 11.95 percent.
Exports of fish products went down by 11.28 percent; leguminous vegetable (pulses) 100 percent; tobacco 27.32 percent; wheat and sugar 100 percent. However, the export of fruits went up by 68.69 percent; vegetables, 117.54 percent; spices, 18.58 percent; and meat, 34.84 percent.
Export of footwear went down by 21.10 percent; engineering goods, 6.66 percent; cement, 16.45 percent; molasses, 62.51 percent; and guar and guar products, 38.13 percent, during the said period.
On the other hand, the imports of food commodities decreased by 31.35 percent in the first six months of current fiscal year, as they were recorded at $1.535 billion against $2.236 billion of the same period of 2008-09.
Meanwhile, import of power generating machinery decreased by 23.56 percent in the period under review. According to the figures, the imports of transport sector showed negative growth of 0.07 percent in the period under review. In transport group, road motor vehicles import went up by 10.68 percent; CBU import decreased by 10.01 percent; buses, trucks and other heavy vehicles went down by 5.36 percent; motorcycles, 72.48 percent; and motorcars, 13.71 percent, in July-December of 2009-10 as against July-December 2008-09.