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Marginal exports growth overall; rice, wheat, tea up 20 pc; pulses, tobacco, coffee, sugar, minerals down

The country registered a 0.46 per cent positive export growth rate during the first half of 1998-99 after taking into account the late returns.

Since November 1998, the monthly exports have registered positive growth rates, according to the export performance document released today by the commerce ministry along with the Exim Policy.

The cumulative value of exports during April-January 1998-99 was estimated at $ 27.15 billion, marking a decline of 1.98 per cent. With late returns counted, the performance becomes marginally positive.

The exports registered a positive growth during April 1998, then reversed its growth during May and June. Again in July, the exports registered a positive growth of 7.7 per cent. This trend continued in August also but the growth rate was 4.5 per cent.

During September and October 1998, the export growth again became negative. Since November till January 1999, the exports are showing an upward trend with growth rates ranging between 3.8 per cent and 8.5 per cent in dollar terms.

A high growth of 20 per cent and above has been witnessed in tea, rice, wheat, guergum meal, shellac and coal, fruits and vegetable seeds.

A moderate growth of ten to 20 per cent has been observed in gems and jewellery, mica, natural silk textiles, handicrafts, coir and coir manufactures, leather and manufactures excluding footwear and machine tools.

The growth was below ten per cent in case of castor oil, processed and miscellaneous processed items, readymade garments, jute manufactures, ferro alloys, manufactures of metals and floriculture products.

Negative growth has been witnessed in exports of pulses, tobacco, coffee, spices, cashew, groundnut, oil meals, sugar and molasses, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and preparations, poultry and dairy products, spirit and beverages, marine products and ores and minerals (excluding coal and mica).

The products which registered negative growth are footwear, sports goods, chemicals and related products, engineering goods (excluding ferro alloys, manufactures of metals and machine tools), electronic goods (hardware), project goods, cotton yarn fabrics and made ups, man-made textiles, wool and woolen manufactures, raw cotton including waste and petroleum products.

The commodities that registered positive growth in exports compared to the corresponding period the previous year are tea, rice, leather and leather manufactures, gems and jewellery, textiles, jute manufactures and handicrafts.

The commodities which have shown a decline are coffee, tobacco, spices, cashew, oil meals, fruits, vegetables, marine products, ores, minerals, basic chemicals, engineering goods, electronics (hardwar), cotton yarn fabric made-ups, man-made yarn fabric made-ups, carpets, petro products, plastics and linoleum.

Exports to Africa and America have shown positive growth, exports to other regions like west Europe, Asia and Oceania and east Europe including Russia have declined compared to the same period last year.

Among the west European countries, exports to Belgium, France, Denmark, Greece, Spain and Finland have increased. Exports to the United Kingdom and Germany have declined.

The primary reasons for the slow growth are the worldwide recession during the year and the continuing difficult conditions in southeast Asian countries, besides the decline in unit values of Indian exports. Further, there were sectoral problems and trade barriers in some markets.

UNI

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