The imports of gold into the country witnessed increase of 83.89 per cent during the first quarter of the current fiscal year (2015-16) compared to the imports of the corresponding period of last year.
Gold worth $7.089 million was imported during July-September (2015-16) compared to the imports of $3.855 million in July-September (2014-15), showing upward growth of about 4 per cent, according to the officials data.
In terms of quantity, gold imports witnessed positive growth of 112.09 per cent during the period under review. Overall 193 kilograms of gold was imported during the first quarter of the current fiscal year compared to the imports of 91 kilograms during last year, the data revealed.
On year-on-year basis, the imports of gold increased by 9.31 per cent in September compared to the same month of last year. Gold imports in September 2015 were recorded at $2.725 million whereas the imports during September 2014 stood at $2.493 million.
On month-on-month basis, gold imports witnessed increase of 1.41 per cent in September 2015 compared to imports of $2.687 million in August 2015, according to the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
During the first quarter of the current fiscal year, imports of overall metal group witnessed decrease of 1.07 per cent.
The metal group imports stood at $896.237 million this year compared to the imports of $905.915 million during the previous year.
Among the metal group, the imports of iron and steel scrap decreased by 13.28 per cent and fell from last year’s $264.830 million to $229.659 million this year.
Meanwhile, imports of iron and steel increased by 4.42 per cent to reach $444.760 million this year, from $425.937 million last year. Similarly, imports of aluminum wrought and worked increased from $32.668 million to $41.478 million, showing increase of 26.97 per cent.
Imports of all other metals and articles witnessed negative growth of 3.01 per cent during the period under review with total imports of $173.251 million this year compared to the imports of $178.625 million last year.
During the first quarter of the current fiscal year, the overall trade deficit had narrowed by 15.03 per cent as revealed by the PBS data, owing to decline in imports as well as exports.
Imports from July to September 2015-16 stood at $10.656 billion whereas exports from the country stood at $5.155 billion during the period.
