Mixed picture from Pakistan
The situation in Pakistan’s leather sector remains unclear as the latest export numbers appear to confuse rather than clarify the current scenario.
According to the latest figures published by the Federal Bureau of Statistics
leather exports declined 9.63% in December to $104.69 million, down from $115.85 million in November.
Month-on-month finished leather exports fell 18.57% to $30.304 million from $37.213 million, leather goods fell 6.68% to $65.495 million from $70.180 million while footwear exports actually increased 5.11% to reach $8.891 million, up from $8.459 million in November.
However, while a general downward trend may not come as much of a surprise to many because of the recent political turmoil and the disruption these have caused for the industry, when contrasted against the figures for the same month a year earlier, the numbers tell a very different story. Compared with December 2006, exports actually increased a significant 14.3%, up from $91.59-million.
Statistics for the first six months of the current fiscal year (July to December 2007) also paint a more positive picture, with exports rising 13.31% to $568.916 million, up from $502.098 million in same period of the prior year.
Overall in the first half, finished leather exports improved 31.72% in value to reach $195.615 million, compared with $148.504 million; leather goods (which includes leather garments worth $253.747 million, leather gloves worth $54.665 million and other leather goods worth $11.366 million) rose 8.01% to reach $319.778 million, up from $296.059 million; although footwear exports declined 6.97% to 7,227,000 worth $ 53.523 million.
