Arsalan Ali

Pakistan’s exports to Central Asian countries in the first four months of the current financial year surged by 22% and reached $60.496 million against $49.366 million in the same period of the previous fiscal year, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data.

The exports from Pakistan to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan reached $9.573 million in October 2022, showing a decline of 2.8% compared to $9.849 million in the same month of the previous fiscal year. From July-October FY23, the imports from Central Asian countries totalled $11.974 million.

Pakistan had a trade surplus of $48.522 million with the five countries combined. Pakistan had a trade surplus with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan during the period under review, but a trade deficit was recorded with Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. In terms of Pakistani goods received in the countries, Kazakhstan ranked number one followed by Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

The exports from Pakistan to Kazakhstan declined by 78% to $1.389 million in October 2022 as against $6.366 million in the same period of last year. The exports from Pakistan to Kazakhstan totalled $29.125 million in July-Oct FY23 compared to $34.952 million in July-Oct FY22. During this period, the trade surplus was recorded at $27.306 million. Compared to $2.909 million in October 2021, Pakistan exported $7.407 million worth of goods to Uzbekistan in October 2022, an increase of $4.498 million. From July-October FY23, the exports from Pakistan to Uzbekistan were recorded at $28.279 million, up from $12.611 million in the same period of the previous fiscal, showing a rise of $15.668 million. The trade surplus was recorded at $21.945 million from July-October FY23.

The exports to Tajikistan grew by 36% and reached $0.380 million in October 2022 compared to $0.280 million in October 2021. In the first four months of FY23, the exports to Tajikistan stood at $1.511 million compared to $0.601 million in the same period of the previous fiscal, showing a rise of $ 0.910 million. The trade deficit with Tajikistan was recorded at $1.222 million during that period. The exports to Kyrgyzstan reached $0.395 million in October 2022, an increase of $0.188 million from October 2021.

The total exports from Pakistan to Kyrgyzstan surged by 123% and reached $1.497 million in July-October FY23 as against $0.670 million during the same period of last fiscal year. A trade surplus of $1.369 million was recorded with Kyrgyzstan in July-October FY23. The exports to Turkmenistan in the first four months of FY23 were recorded at $0.084 million compared to $0.532 million in the same period of last year.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk