Seafood exports rise despite EU ban: The News

By Shahid Shah

KARACHI: Pakistan’s seafood exports increased in August compared to the same period last year after measures taken to improve the condition of harbour and that of boats used in catching fish and shrimp.

According to data, seafood exports rose to 5,327 tons in August against 5,032 tons in August last year. Value of exports also increased to $9.653 million from $9.104 million.

Director General Marine Fisheries Department and Chief Executive Officer Fisheries Development Board, Mohammad Moazzam Khan, told The News several steps had been taken for making improvements at the harbour and modifying boats, which led to increase in seafood exports.

Sources said the exports rose after efforts made by the government which was serious about livestock and dairy development and get the EU ban on seafood exports lifted.

A European Union delegation is likely to visit Pakistan in October to inspect the Karachi Fisheries Harbour.

The EU de-listed all Pakistani seafood exporters in April 2007 and the ban has not yet been lifted. Out of 28 seafood processing units, 11 had been exporting to the EU.

When an EU mission visited the harbour in 2007, it found deficiencies both at the harbour and processing units. Expressing concern, the EU’s Directorate of Food and Veterinary submitted its 25-page findings to Pakistani authorities.

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Hinopak to export buses from Pakistan to ME and Africa: Daily Times

KARACHI: Hinopak is Pakistan's first automobile company to export its buses to Middle East and African countries in early 1990's and once again Hinopak would take a gigantic leap in the international market by starting export of buses to Middle East and Africa, a statement released on Friday said. In the statement Mohammad Irfan Shaikh, Director Sales and Marketing, Hinopak stated that it is proud to mention that Hinopak has been chosen as a hub by its principal Hino Motors, Ltd., Japan for manufacturing Hino buses for export to Middle East and Africa. In this regard the first meeting with Hino distributors from Middleast and Africa was held in November last year, where Hino distributors showed their keen interest in Hino buses because of their quality which is not less than any international bus.

Irfan also congratulated the CDGK to start the pilot project by inducting CNG buses in the Karachi transport system. He further added that it is one such step which would augurs well for the citizens of Karachi and would provide impetus for the future induction of both new CNG and Diesel buses in Karachi and also in other cities of Pakistan especially in Punjab. He mentioned that, in Punjab more than 1500 urban buses are successfully operating on the roads and facilitating the commuters. He also urged the government of Punjab to start the operation of locally produced CNG buses which would definitely modernize the existing urban transport system.

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Trade deficit narrows by 39pc: The News

By Aftab Maken

ISLAMABAD: The negative growth in exports and imports in the first two months of new financial year has also registered a negative trade deficit of nearly 40 per cent when compared with the corresponding period of last year.

The trade deficit for the first two months of current fiscal stood at $2.19 billion registering a decrease of around 39 per cent than $3.56 billion recorded in the same period of last fiscal, the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) said on Friday.

The shortage of major commodities and the imports of the commodities at relatively higher prices will definitely push the trade deficit and it would also be again in double digit, fears a trade analyst.

The government last week announced importing of nearly one million tons raw sugar for building its strategic reserves because of anticipated shortfall of nearly 1.5 million tons sweetener for the coming season, which starts from October. The Ministry of Food & Agriculture has also recommended import of 0.4 million tons urea fertilizer for Rabi crops. The current pace of the exports clearly reveals that the $18.84 billion export target for 2009-10 is unlikely to be achieved and the country’s exports will hover around the last year’s figure of $17.78 billion, the analyst added.

During July-August 2009, Pakistan’s exports registered the double digit negative growth totaling $2.96 billion while the imports of $5.16 billion against $3.44 billion and $7.00 billion, have been recorded respectively during the same period last year, said the data, adding that imports were 26.32 per cent less than the same period of last fiscal, while exports also registered a negative growth of 13.78 per cent.

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Pakistan’s export share in world trade declines to 0.13%: Daily Times

By Razi Syed

KARACHI: The global share of Pakistan in export market is 0.13 percent, which was 0.21 percent in 1999. The exports dropped from $19.1 billion in 2007-08 to $17.8 billion in 2008-09, imports dropped from $40.4 billion in 2007-08 to $34.9 bill in 2008-09, according to the Federal Bureau of Statistics. Agha Saiddain, Chairman Pakistan Tanners Association, said textile exports which are 54 percent of our total exports dropped from $10.6 billion to $9.60 billion, but alarming thing is that export of non-textile manufactured items has gone down from an already low figure of $5.83 billion in 2007-08 to $3.12 billion in 2008-09. Agha said on the other hand non-textile exports have gone up in all our competing countries specially in Asia, including China, India, Malaysia, etc.

It would have been better to announce a trade policy for the year 2009-10 with short-term measure with a five-year strategic policy framework. Short-term measures are required to face the challenges of global recession and abnormal security situation of Pakistan. The trade policy is silent about the road map as how to achieve these objectives and the major causes of back drop of trade policy are identified by the MOC as energy crises, low productivity and poor innovation, low value addition, lack of foreign investment, tax laws, lack of product and market diversification, he added. He said, these terms look very impressive but what practical measures have been suggested to overcome these weaknesses are unidentified”.

To overcome these weakness the government has come up with new creative idea under its name STPF (strategic trade policy framework) with fundamental principles laid down as growth with equity, creating opportunities for gainful employment, sound macro-economic frame work for poverty eradication, environmental protection, HR development, targeting private sector as engine of growth, focus on small agriculture. The government has been working on strategies of various industries such as leather industry where SWOG (strategy working group) has already finalised their strategy paper and recommendations forwarded to the authorities.

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Marble exports raises to 60% in last fiscal year: The News

KARACHI: The sixty percent raise was recorded in marble exports during last fiscal year.

Chairman Marble Exporters Association Sanaullah Khan said this while talking to Geo News. He said in fiscal year 2007-08, marble exports were at the level of $ 19.6 million, which has been raised to $36.1 million in 2008-09.

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