ISLAMABAD - Apart from rendering thousands of daily wageworkers unemployed, the ongoing gas shortage in the country has badly hit the countrys exports, as it went down by 10.67 percent in one-month period. The ongoing gas crisis had compelled hundred of industries to shut down their production in the country, which is affecting the exports, as the gas supply remains suspended for four to five days a week. If the statistics of November are compared with those of October 2010, it becomes clear that in November 2010 alone, the country exports decreased to $1.777 billion as compared with the exports of $1.989 billion in October 2010, showing a decline of over 10 percent in one-month period. According to the official figures of Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS), the imports remained $3.125 billion in November 2010 as against imports of $3.220 billion in October 2010 indicating a decline of 2.96 percent. The trade deficit was at $1.348 billion in November 2010 as against the imbalance of $1.231 billion in October 2010 registering an increase decrease of 9.49 percent. The trade analysts believed that main reason behind the reduction in exports in November was the ongoing gas shortage, which could become critical in the coming months. They feared that exports could further affect if the government did not provide proper gas to the industries. According to the FBS data, the countrys trade deficit swelled to $6.492 billion in first five months (July-November) of the current fiscal year 2010-11, which is 16.90 percent higher than the same period of the last financial year. Meanwhile, the countrys exports showed a healthy growth of 17.92 percent in July-November period compared to the same period of the last fiscal year. The exports managed to reach $8.883 billion in July-November 2010 period as compared to $7.533 billion against the same period of the last year. Meanwhile, the imports also went up by 17.48 percent and totalled at $15.374 billion in July-November period against $13.087 billion during the same period of last fiscal year. On the other hand, the exports registered an increase of 17.04 percent in November 2010 with total exports of $1.777 billion as against exports of $1.518 billion in November 2009. Imports of the country witnessed an increase of 23.60 percent in November 2010 with total imports stood at $3.125 billion as against the imports of $2.528 billion in November 2009. The trade imbalance in November 2010 increased by 33.45 percent with a total deficit stood at $1.348 billion as against the deficit of $1.010 billion in November 2009.