ISLAMABAD             -           Exports from the country, in rupee term, increased by 8.48 per cent during the first eleven months of the current fiscal year as compared to the corresponding period of last fiscal year, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported.

The exports from the country during July– May (2019-2020) were recorded at Rs3,106,723  million as against Rs2,863,885 million during the corresponding period of last year, showing an increase of 8.48 per cent, according to provisional data released by PBS.

However, on year-on-year basis, the exports from the country decreased by 26.78 per cent in May 2020 when compared to the exports of May 2019. The exports in May 2020 were recorded at Rs223,536 million as against the exports of Rs305,303 million during May, 2019. On month-on-month basis the exports increased by 42.01 per cent in May 2020 when compared to the exports of Rs157,412 million in March, 2020.

The main commodities of exports during May, 2020 were knitwear (Rs28,962 million), bed wear (Rs 23,380 million), readymade garments (Rs21,708 million), rice others (Rs20,079 million), cotton cloth (Rs15,731 million), Basmati rice (Rs13,128 million), cotton Yarn (Rs8,324 million), towels (Rs6,668 million), readymade up articles (excl. towels & bed wear) (Rs5,537 million) and fish & fish preparation (Rs4,554 million).

On the other hand, imports during July–May, 2019 - 2020 totalled Rs6,421,012 million as against Rs6,767,523 million during the corresponding period of last year showing a decrease of 5.12 per cent.

Imports into Pakistan during May, 2020 amounted to Rs458,272 million as against Rs526,880 million (provisional) in April, 2020 and Rs730,962 million during May 2019 showing a decrease of 13.02 per cent over April, 2020 and of 37.31 per cent over May 2019.

The main commodities of imports during May, 2020 were Electrical machinery and apparatus (Rs31,412 million), iron and steel (Rs23,205 million), palm oil (Rs21,591 million), petroleum products (Rs20,813 million), power generating machinery (Rs20,339 million), iron and steel scrap (Rs19,435 million) plastic materials (Rs18,991 million), mobile phones (Rs17,778 million), natural gas, liquefied (Rs17,285 million) and raw cotton (Rs16,535 million).