Raw cotton exports increase 49.78pc in five months

ISLAMABAD: Raw cotton exports from the country during the first five months of the current financial year, 2017-18, increased by 49.78 per cent as compared to corresponding period last year.

During the period from July-December, 2017-18, about 30,313 metric tonnes of raw cotton worth $ 50.195 million was exported as compared to the exports of 19,546 metric tonnes valuing $ 33.513 million, same period last year.

According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data, cotton yarn exports also grew by 0.46 per cent to 213,971 metric tonnes worth $ 553.391 million exported as compared to exports of 192,301 metric tonnes valuing $ 549.853 million same period last year.

However, in the first five months of current financial year exports of cotton cloth decreased by 1.16 per cent. About 760,897 thousand square metres of cotton cloth valuing $ 887.860 million was exported as compared to exports of 886,044 thousand square metres worth $ 898.265 million same period last year.

Meanwhile, exports of yarn other than cotton yarn increased by 15.81 per cent during the period under review 4,453 metric tonnes of yarn valuing $ 12.810 million was exported against exports of 3,872 metric tonnes worth of $ 11.61 million of the same period last year.

It may be recalled that textile group exports from the country during first five months of the current financial year grew by 7.66 per cent and textile products worth $ 5.510 billion were exported as compared to exports of $ 5.118 million same period last year.

During the period under review, other textile material exports increased by 16.66 per cent as textile material worth $ 182.265 million exported, against exports of $ 156.232 million same period last year.