Though a major increase in the current exports of Pakistan can be attributed to a hike in cotton price in the international market resulting in a record increase in exports which are likely to hit $25 billion this year, almost 26 other commodities have also shown a quantitative increase in export volumes. While the government is skeptical about the expected reduction in exports due to the fast eroding price of cotton in international market after bumper crop in various cotton rich countries, the increase in exports of various commodities in terms of quantity is an encouraging development, experts said. “The major improvement in exports is a quantitative increase as compared to a rise in the price of commodities,” they said.
According to a survey, at least 26 commodities have shown an increasing trend during the nine months of the financial year 2011. The first product which recorded 25,766 per cent increase was wheat which was banned for any export in 2010. Another important item which has shown an increase of 8,097 per cent during July to March (2010-2011) is leguminous vegetable (pulses) which has recorded exports of almost 906869 metric tonnes.
Other commodities showing an increase in export quantities include manufactured onyx, tobacco, meat, furniture, art silk and synthetic textile, knitwear, readymade garments, plastic materials, electric fans, leather tanned, leather garments, fish and fish preparations, leather footwear, vegetables, jaggery, carpets rugs and mates, leather gloves, sports gloves, cotton cloth, towels, petroleum top neptha, spices, rice basmati and bed wear. These products have shown an increase of 74.84, 48.07, 44.44, 38.14, 34.48, 28.22, 25.12, 24, 22.55, 22.07, 18.94, 17.37, 15.36, 15.04, 13.55, 9.66, 9.57, 8.48, 5.89, 4.7, 3.79, 1.85, 1.8 and 0.97 per cent respectively. During the nine months of financial year 2011, wheat, leguminous vegetable (pulses), manufactured onyx, tobacco, meat and meat preparation, plastic materials, fish and fish preparations, vegetables, jaggery, towels, petroleum top neptha, spices, rice basmati and bed wear export volumes were recorded at 906,869 M T, 3,033, 3,663, 4,451, 37,366, 222,190, 86,680, 377,247, 18,979, 149,224, 472,745, 12,479, 780,610 and 243,051 metric tonnes respectively. Export items such as, knitwear, readymade garments, leather garments, leather gloves and leather footwear registered export volumes of 100,451, 25,455, 785, 2,645 and 2,508 thousand dozens during the nine month period. Experts said that though there was an increased value factor in higher exports, non-traditional exports volume have also risen quantitatively. The fresh increase in quantity was due to the value-addition of exportable products, improved competitiveness of the country’s textile industry and enhanced production.
According to experts, the government should try to enhance the quantity of exports as the current level of international trade in terms of quantity was not up to the mark. According to statistics many important items including tents and canvas, animal casings, oil seeds, molasses, gems& jewellery, cement, handicrafts, canvas foot wear, carpets and rugs (woolen), other footwear and miscellaneous products have also shown a cumulative decrease of 27.78 per cent during June-April 2010-2011.
