Jewelry exports up 20% in first half of 2017-18

• Jewelry exports increase 20.31%
• Gems exports go up by 14%; Molasses exports surge by 491%
• Furniture, Cement, Gaur & Products, decline by 18%, 18.57% and 52.85% respectively

Export of Jewelry from the country increased by 20.31 per cent to $4.39 million during first half of fiscal year 2017-18 compared to exports of jewelry worth of $3.649 million during same period of previous year.

Similarly gems export also went up by 14 per cent during the period under review as the export rose to $1.77 million in Jul-Dec 2017-18 from $1.55 million in same period of the year 2016-17, latest data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) revealed.

Export of molasses surged by 491 per cent as it increased to $9.7 million from mere $1.64 million during first half of fiscal year 2016-17.

Furniture export, however witnessed a decline of 18 per cent as it went down to $1.877 million in first six months of current fiscal year from $2.29 million in same period of the preceding year.

In addition, cement export also registered decrease of 18.57 per cent as it dropped to $118.58 million in Jul-Dec 2017-18 from $145.67 million in first half of fiscal year 2016-17.

Guar and guar products' export surged by 52.85 per cent to $16 million from $10.45 million during the period under review.

On yearly basis, the export of jewelry witnessed a sharp increase of 411 per cent to $2.778 million in December 2017 from $543,000 in December 2016.

The export of gems also increased by 15.57 per cent as the export rose from $167,000 in December 2016 to $193,000 in December 2017.

The furniture export declined by 47 per cent as it went down to $202,000 in December 2017 from $387,000 in same month of preceding year.