Govt sets $11.7b trade deficit

ISLAMABAD - Trade deficit is projected at $11.7 billion for the next financial year 2010-11, which is 6.1 percent of the GDP, with exports worth $19.95 billion and imports of $ 31.69 billion, official figures revealed. Due to global uncertainty, continuous energy shortage and security situation of the country, the Government had estimated $19.95 billion export target for the coming fiscal year (FY) against $19.2 billion estimated for 2009-10. Meanwhile imports are projected at $ 31.69 billion for 2010-11, which is 6 percent higher than $29.9 billion estimated imports of the outgoing fiscal year. The trade imbalance is projected at $11.742 billion. According to the trade analysts, the Government has estimated an ambitious trade deficit target of $11.7 billion, as it will be much higher. They believed that it would be a challenging export target for the Government in the wake of loadshedding. It is worth mentioning here that in the outgoing fiscal year, trade deficit was estimated at $10.715 billion, which is expected to remain at $15.32 billion at the end of June. The break-up of $19.952 billion exports target revealed that Government was expecting to export; food commodities, $3.360 billion, textile, $10.666 billion, petroleum products and coal, $906.3 million, other manufacturers, $3.842 billion, and all others products are projected at $ 1.099 billion in 2010-11. Meanwhile, among the imports, the Government estimates food imports at $2.416 billion in the next fiscal year, machinery, $3.950 billion, transport group, $1.984 billion, petroleum products, $10.241 billion, textiles products, $1.444 billion, agri and other chemicals, $3.029 billion, metal group, $2.059 billion, and miscellaneous products are estimated at $671.5 million.

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