Pakistan - News and Discussion 6

[Naresh]

<b>Foreign trade to exceed $50b in FY07</b>

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->LAHORE – <b>Pakistan’s foreign trade in the coming financial year 2006-07 is poised to exceed 50 billion dollars mark</b>, The Nation learnt on Wednesday.

The overall quantum of foreign trade in the coming fiscal is being projected at 52 billion dollars by the officials of the Ministry of Commerce.

<b>The exports are being estimated at 19.5 billion dollars in 2006-07 while imports are being projected at 32.50 billion dollars</b>, a senior official of Commerce Ministry told The Nation.

Thus the <b>actual size of the trade deficit might hit 13 billion dollars highest level in the forthcoming financial year, although the officials are underestimating it around 10 billion dollars</b>, he said.

In comparison with the fiscal year 2005-06 the size of foreign trade in 2006-07 might surge by seven billion dollars - five billion dollars increase in imports and two billion dollars growth in exports.

<b>In 2005-06 the quantum of the foreign trade is expected to settle at 45 billion dollars – 28 billion dollars imports and 17 billion dollars exports while trade deficit could expand to 11 billion dollars.</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

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