ISLAMABAD, Asharq Al-Awsat – Pakistan’s exports grew at an average rate of 16.45 percent per annum over the last four years owing to sound macroeconomic policies coupled with wide ranging structural reforms, particularly in the areas of trade and tariff, official figures show.

The policies implemented over the last six or seven years have helped Pakistan doubled its exports in seven years and increased its trade-to-GDP ratio from close to 26 percent in 1999-2000 to estimated 34 percent in 2005-06.

The exports were targeted at $ 17 billion or 18.1 percent higher than last year. Exports during the first nine months of the 2005-06 are up by 18.6 percent-rising from $ 10183 million to $ 12073 million in the same period last year.

The exports of primary commodities are up by 22 percent; prominent among those are exports of rice (33.6%), fish and fish preparation (30.2%) and fruits (20.6%).

Exports of textile manufactures grew by 19.2 percent; prominent among those are exports of bed wear (58.4%), ready-made garments (31.0%), cotton yarn (29.4%), cotton cloth (16.5%) and towels (12.0%).Exports of other manufactures also registered a high double digit growth of 19.2 percent. Within this category, exports of petroleum products grew by 80.8 percent and leather manufactures are up by 44.0 percent.

The overall exports posted an increase of $ 1890.23 million in the first nine months of the current fiscal year over the same period of last year.