The New Nation - Internet Edition

ECONOMIC REPORTER

Country's real export earnings amounted to 11,365.73 million US dollars during the last ten months (July 2007-April 2008) against the export target of 11,644.95 million US dollars, said Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) yesterday.

Though the amount was 2.40 per cent less than the target, it was 14.66 per cent higher compared to the export earnings of the same period of previous year, said the EPB in a press release.

Giving an analysis of the export performance of the last ten months (July-April) of fiscal year 2007-08, the EPB said that the country 's export earnings amounted to 1,203.97 million US dollar in April 2008, which was 37.59 per cent higher, compared to the export earnings of 875.04 million US dollars in April 2007.

The products recorded growth over the last year's performance and also over the target were petroleum byproducts and knitwear, agricultural products including vegetables, tobacco and others, and tea.

Besides, primary commodities like cut flower and foliage, agro processed food, textile fabrics and raw jute recorded growth over the last year's performance and also over the target.

During the July 2007-April 2008 period of the current fiscal year of 2007-08, export earnings in areas like knitwear, woven, agricultural products, home textiles, hides and skins, petroleum products, shoes, raw jute, ceramic goods, frozen food, electronics, terry towels, textile fabrics, chemicals, other primary products and industrial products were increased compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year of 2006-07. But the export earnings in these areas could not cross the targets.

However, export earnings in areas of engineering products like bicycle, iron chain and others, jute goods and handicrafts, computer services recorded sharp decline over the last year's export performance and also over the target.

During the July-April 2007-08 period, index by price in total export fell by 1.07 per cent compared to the previous year, while the index by volume increased by 15.73 per cent. In primary products, export index was increased by 11.73 per cent while volume index was increased by 11.13 per cent.

On the other hand, in manufactured products, export index was declined by 2.02 per cent, while volume index was increased by 16.07 per cent.