ISLAMABAD: The country’s exports during July-October, 2020 totaled $7.576 billion against $7.529 billion during the corresponding period of last year, showing an increase of 0.62 percent, revealed exports and imports data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). The PBS data revealed that imports during July–October, 2020 totaled $15.193 billion as against $15.251 billion during the corresponding period of last year showing a decrease of 0.38 percent. During the period, the country’s balance of trade improved by 1.36 percent from $7.722 billion in July-October 2019 to $7.617 billion in July-October 2020. On Month-on-Month basis, according to the PBS, the country’s exports in October, 2020 were $2.104 billion as compared to $1.887 billion in September, 2020, showing an increase of 11.50 percent, and by 4.21 percent as compared to $2.019 billion in October 2019.

The imports of Pakistan during October, 2020 were $3.907 billion as compared to $4.297 billion in September, 2020, showing a decrease of 9.08 percent, and by 3.58 percent as compared to $4.052 billion in October 2019. Main commodities of exports during October, 2020 were knitwear Rs52.549 billion registering 22 percent growth compared to same period of last year, bed wear Rs40.386 billion 19.28 percent growth, readymade garments Rs40.045 billion registering 7.53 percent growth, cotton cloth Rs27.321 billion registering 2.34 percent decline, rice others Rs14.879 million registering 4.98 percent decline, towels Rs12.804 billion registering 14.84 percent growth, madeup articles (excl towels and bedwear) Rs11.099 billion registering 17.26 percent growth, cotton yarn Rs9.744 billion registering 30.79 percent decline, Basmati rice Rs7.807 billion registering 20.22 percent decline, and fish and fish preparations Rs7.090 billion registering 9.27 percent decline.

Main commodities of imports during October, 2020 were petroleum products Rs62.095 billion registering 0.80 percent growth compared to same period of last year, natural gas liquefied Rs36.771 billion registering 4.39 percent growth, petroleum crude Rs30.447 billion registering 46.23 percent decline, plastic materials Rs30.291 billion registering 26.20 percent growth, iron and steel scrap Rs26.008 billion registering 17.42 percent growth, iron and steel Rs24.591 billion registering 11.87 percent growth, wheat unmillied Rs18.614 billion registering 100 percent growth, electrical machinery and apparatus Rs14.907 billion registering 41.39 percent growth, sugar Rs14.412 billion registering 47940 percent growth, and palm oil Rs13.668 billion registering 39.20 percent decline.—TAHIR AMIN