ISLAMABAD-Exports from the country, in rupee term, increased by 1 per cent during the first two 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– Aug (2020-2021) were recorded at Rs599,260 million as against Rs593,306 million during the corresponding period of last year, showing an increase of 1 per cent, according to provisional data released by PBS.
However, on year-on-year basis, the exports from the country decreased by 9.57 per cent in August 2020 when compared to the exports of August 2020. The exports in August 2020 were recorded at Rs265,605 million as against the exports of Rs293,718 during August, 2019. On month-on-month basis the exports decreased by 20.40 per cent per in August 2020 when compared to the exports of Rs333,655 million in July, 2020. The main commodities of exports during August, 2020 were knitwear (Rs41,691 million), readymade garments (Rs34,041 million), bed wear (Rs30,353 million), cotton cloth (Rs24,375 million), rice others (Rs10,996 million), towels (Rs9,271 million), cotton yarn (Rs9,159 million), made-up articles excluding towels & bedwear (Rs.8,224 million), Basmati rice (Rs5,639 million) and surgical goods & medical instruments (Rs5,517 million). On the other hand, imports during July – August, 2020 totalled Rs1,170,081 million as against Rs1,177,808 million during the corresponding period of last year, showing a decrease of 0.66 per cent.
Imports into Pakistan during August, 2020 amounted to Rs557,418 million (provisional) as against Rs612,663 million (provisional) in July, 2020 and Rs. 588,070 million during August 2019 showing a decrease of 9.02 per cent over July, 2020 and of 5.21 per cent over August 2019. The main commodities of imports during August, 2020 were Petroleum products (Rs60,821 million), petroleum crude (Rs.40,331 million), mobile phones (Rs26,562 million), plastic materials (Rs25,942 million), palm oil (Rs24,618 million), natural gas, liquefied (Rs24,311 million), iron and steel scrap (Rs23,979 million), power generating machinery (Rs18,984 million), electrical machinery & apparatus (Rs15,060m) and medicinal products (Rs13,750 million).