ISLAMABAD: Raw cotton exports from the country during first four months of the current financial year increased by 46.96 per cent as compared to the exports of the corresponding period of last year.
According to the data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Saturday, during the period from July-October, 2017-18, raw cotton worth $ 42.564 million exported as compared to the exports of $ 29.016 million of the same period last year.
During the period under review, exports of cotton yarn also enhanced by 5.04 per cent as cotton yarn valuing $ 442.023 million exported as against the exports of the $ 420.795 million of the same period last year.
However, the exports of cotton cloth during the period under review decreased by 2.21 per cent and recorded at $ 715.085 million as compared to the exports of $ 731.271 million of the same period last year.
The other textile products with positive growth in their respective exports during the period under review included knitwear by 10.62 per cent, bed wear 5.42 per cent, readymade garments by 5.42 per cent and silk, synthetic textile by 60.61 per cent.
It may be recalled that textile group exports from the country during first four months of the current financial year witnessed an increase of 7.72 per cent as compared to the exports of the corresponding period of last year.
During the period under review textile products worth over $ 4.390 billion exported as compared to the exports of $ 4.075 billion of the same period last year, increased by 46.96 per cent raw cotton worth $ 42.564 million exported as compared to the exports of $ 29.016 million of the same period last year.
On month on month basis, the exports of the textile group also grew by 7.12 per cent in the month of October as compared to the exports of the corresponding month of last year.
In last month (October) textile products worth of $ 1.132 billion exported as compared to the exports of $ 1.057 billion of the same month of last financial year, whereas it was recorded at $ 1.078 billion in the month of September.
In a recent bid to enhance exports of Pakistani textiles, it was demanded by the textile giants that all taxes on import of raw cotton ( which together comes out say over 8%) be waived off in order to make Pakistani products competitive in the world market. This is over and above the export rebate that exporters get on export of textile value added products.
In the same breath it is being reported as per above narrative that Pakistan itself is a big exporter of raw cotton. Both versions are not understandable. And both versions are not in national interest, as Pakistan need to export after making maximum value added textile products as is the dire need of the day for managing the declining exports. m.aslam ch