Export earnings up 6.66pc in 11 months

FT ONLINE

The country's export earnings grew by 6.66 per cent to US$33.73 billion in the first eleven months of the current fiscal year over the corresponding period of last fiscal year.

However, the aggregate export receipts were slightly (0.44 per cent) less than the strategic target, set earlier for the aforesaid period of this fiscal year (FY), official figures showed.

Bangladesh fetched $31.62 billion through shipment of merchandise goods during the July-May period of the FY 2016-17.

Of the total, the country's readymade garment (RMG) posted 9.77 per cent growth to nearly $28.13 billion during the July-May period this FY over the corresponding period of last fiscal.

Knitwear products raked in $13.94 billion in the first 11 months of the current FY, registering an 11.48 per cent rise over the same period of last FY, according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data.

Earnings from shipment of knitwear products were recorded at $12.50 billion during July-May period of the FY 2016-17.

On the other hand, export receipts from woven garments until May of the current fiscal rose by 8.15 per cent to nearly $14.19 billion compared to $13.12 billion in the corresponding period of last fiscal.

Export earnings from home textile products reached $823 million until May of this FY, an 11.67 per cent up from that in the matching period of last FY.

Among other items, exports of jute and jute goods fetched $ 966.90 million, nearly 7.0 per cent up from that of the same period in last FY.

Earnings from shipment of leather and leather products fell by 11.08 per cent to reach $999.07 million during the July-May period of this FY over the same period of last fiscal.

Export receipts from frozen and live fish were also recorded at $465.32 million and agricultural products at $609.01 million during the July-May period of this FY.

The amounts were $472.85 million and $515.73 million respectively in the corresponding period of last fiscal.

The government had earlier fixed the country's total exports target at $37.50 billion for the FY 2017-18.