Kanwal Naseer

The country’s exports increased by 28.43% in rupee terms during the first five months of the current fiscal year (2022-23) compared to the same time previous year, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) data shows. According to preliminary figures issued by PBS, exports from July through November (2022-23) were Rs. 2,661,304 million, up from Rs. 2,072,145 million during the same time previous year. This represents a rise of 28.43%.

In comparison to November 2021, when exports were Rs. 502,009 million, exports in November 2022 totalled Rs. 531,599 million, an increase of 5.89% on an annual basis. Compared to the exports of Rs. 525,831 million in October 2022, the exports climbed 1.10% month over month in November.

The primary export items in November 2022 were knitwear (Rs. 88,974 million), ready-made garments (Rs. 72,620 million), bed wear (Rs. 49,457 million), rice other than Basmati (Rs. 34,909 million), cotton cloth (Rs. 34,140 million), towels (Rs. 20,597 million), fish & fish preparations (Rs. 11,382 million), rice Basmati (Rs. 10,252 million), cotton yarn (Rs. 9,533 million) and surgical goods & medical instruments (Rs.8,343 million).

In contrast, imports increased by 5.59% from July through November (2022-23) to a total of Rs. 5,841,359 million, up from Rs. 5,532,271 million during the same period last year. On an annual and monthly basis, November 2022 imports into Pakistan totalled Rs. 1,152,054 million (provisional), up from Rs. 1,039,036 million in October 2022 and Rs. 1,366,681 million in November 2021. This represents an increase of 10.88% over October 2021 but a decrease of 15.70% over November 2021.

The primary commodities of imports during November 2022 were petroleum products (Rs. 157,448 million), petroleum crude (Rs. 121,378 million), natural gas, liquified (Rs. 70,725 million), palm oil (Rs. 70,720 million), plastic materials (Rs. 42,730 million), raw cotton (Rs. 38,923 million), fertilizer manufactured (Rs. 37,281 million), electrical machinery & apparatus (Rs. 34,692 million), medicinal products (Rs. 34,487 million) and Iron & steel (Rs. 34,170 million).

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk