Pakistan Textile Exports Show 3.1% Negative Growth

The economic situation in Pakistan continued to deteriorate. From July to March 2007, the textile industry showed a negative growth of 3.1% over the same period last year.

The latest provisional figures from the Federal Statistical Office show that most cotton products show negative growth.

Despite negative growth, the textile industry still made a significant contribution to national exports, and exports reached US $7 billion 760 million in the first 9 months of this year.

However, textile exports last year amounted to US $8 billion.

Data show that the textile industry is still a prominent industry. Research shows that the textile industry accounts for about 65% of the total exports in the same period of 13 billion 470 million US dollars.

Data showed that exports of raw cotton and a few other cotton based products showed a positive growth.

In addition, grain exports increased by 14.2% over the same period.

The annual export target of rice was $more than 1 billion, and it was completed in just 9 months.

From July to March 2007, the total export volume was 13 billion 500 million US dollars, compared with 12 billion 400 million US dollars in the same period last year, an increase of 8.87%.

Pakistan's exports grew by 17.29% in March, and this year's total exports amounted to US $1 billion 800 million, compared with exports of US $1 billion 500 million in March 2007.

The main export products in March 2008 were cotton (10 billion 645 million rupees), bed sheets (9 billion 935 million rupees) knitted garments (8 billion 622 million rupees), ready-made garments (8 billion 273 million rupees), cotton yarn (6 billion 655 million rupees), basmati rice (5 billion 246 million rupees), other rice (4 billion 541 million rupees), stone products (top naphtha) (4 billion 109 million rupees), artwork, silk and synthetic fiber textiles (4 billion 36 million rupees) and leather garments (3 billion 429 million rupees).