It might have taken a long time coming, but Pakistan has steadily and prominently matured as one of the fastest developing countries in the world, an undeniable example of which is Pakistan’s Credit Rating Outlook. Pakistan has always been a formidable exporter of a wide variety of commodities. The country is expected to see further growth and is well on its way to becoming the leading economies in the near future, amongst eleven other countries. So, we have taken the liberty to list all the major exports of Pakistan to add to your knowledge about the country. Read on as we discuss these exports individually.
History of Development of Major Exports of Pakistan
During 2018, a global survey revealed that the highest revenue-generating exports of Pakistan included linens, unstitched/stitched, and none-crocheted/crochet men’s suits, rice, cotton yarn, and woven fabrics, embroidered dress patterns, leather products, along with a slew of related accessories, and finally, ethyl alcohol.
Although the Islamic Republic of Pakistan shares its territorial borders with economic juggernauts such as China and India, the country has global exports worth a significant $23.6 billion to its credit, which shows a tremendous gain of 8% from 2017 to 2018. Additionally, the country had also exported services worth around $5.3 billion during the same period, along with commercial services estimated at $4 billion.
The most significant export commodities of Pakistan offered at the highest dollar value during 2018 included:
- Textiles and worn clothing: US$4.1 billion (17.1% of total exports)
- Cotton: $3.5 billion (14.9%)
- Knitted or crocheted clothing and accessories: $2.9 billion (12%)
- Clothing accessories: $2.6 billion (10.9%)
- Cereals: $2.4 billion (9.9%)
- Leather/animal gut articles: $662.7 million (2.8%)
- Sugar and manufactured products: $519 million (2.2%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $499.5 million (2.1%)
- Beverages, spirits, vinegar: $453.1 million (1.9%)
- Salt, sulfur, stone, cement: $445.4 million (1.9%)
- Fish and poultry: $422 million (1.8%)
Each of the export groups mentioned above contributes a significant percentage to the collective export landscape of Pakistan, which accounts for over three quarters (76.5%). It has been observed that mineral fuels were the fastest-growing export sector besides the top 9 categories as it significantly grew by nearly 93.2% between 2017 and 2018. Coming in at second, cereals increased by 34.2%, supported further by corn, rice, grain sorghum, and barley shipment. The third-largest gain was observed in the beverages, spirits, and vinegar category, which accounted for 18.6% of the total exports.
List of Major Exports of Pakistan
The major exports of Pakistan include textiles, leather and sports goods, chemicals, carpets, and rugs. Meanwhile, Pakistan also exports significant quantities of rice, sugar, cotton, fish, fruits, and vegetables. The country ranks among Asia’s largest camel market, second-largest apricot and ghee (oil), and third-largest cotton, onion, and milk market. Here’s a look at some exports that help Pakistan stand out in the exporting community across the world:
- Rice
- Mangoes
- Oranges
- Cotton
- Surgical Instruments
- Leather Goods
- Furniture
- Football
- Sea Food
Rice
Pakistan is regarded among the best producers of high-quality basmati rice, which is then exported to several countries, including Oman, the UAE, Kenya, Thailand, and Jordan, to name a few. In 2018, the country exported nearly 3 million metric tons of rice valued at US$1.224 billion, which has had a positive impact on the country’s economy. Also, rice has historically been the second-largest export of the country.
Mangoes
While Pakistan is renowned as the fifth-largest mango producer in the world, the fruit is the country’s second-largest export. Pakistan annually grows 110 diverse kinds of mangoes, among which the most notable are Chaunsa, Sindhri, Langra, Dasehri, Anwar Ratool, Saroli, Toota Pari, Fajri, Neelum, Almas, Sanwal, and Desi. Iran, China, the Middle East, Japan, Hong Kong, and Germany are the most prominent importers of the mangoes grown in Pakistan.
If you want to know more about Pakistani mangoes and its types, head over to our recently published blog now.
Oranges
You can easily find the best quality fresh Oranges (also known as Kinnows) in Pakistan, a fruit that the country exported 370,000 metric tons of during 2018 and generated $222 million from it. Russia, Philippine, Iran, Sri-Lanka, Indonesia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and the UAE are among the biggest importers of Kinnows from Pakistan.
Cotton
Among the top cash-crop exports of Pakistan, 33,683 metric tons of cotton fibre, spun, and raw cotton was exported, worth an estimated $55.551 million, whereas 332,325 metric tons of cotton yarn worth $859.716 million and another $8.793 billion worth of textile products (stitched garments, knitwear, cotton clothes, bedsheets, and towels) were exported within an 8-month cycle during 2017 and 2018. Pakistan globally exports cotton to China, Germany, the US, the UK, France, Russia, Italy, Spain, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and the Netherlands, among other countries.
Surgical Instruments
Nearly 3,600 firms with a combined workforce of 150,000 people are operational in Pakistan, manufacturing the highest quality surgical and dental instruments, besides producing a wide range of other precision tools using the finest raw material and following the highest standards. In 2018 alone, Pakistan globally exported nearly $221.298 million worth of surgical instruments to the USA, the UK, Germany, Brazil, France, Australia, and Russia.
Leather Goods
Bags, jackets, pants, shoes, and other daily wear products manufactured from Leather are also among the highest revenue-generating export products of Pakistan. During 2018, Pakistan shipped close to $478.85 million worth of leather goods, primarily to major importers including Russia, Italy, France, Canada, the UK, the US, Spain, Netherlands, Australia, and Brazil.
Furniture
Among the very few in the world, Pakistan prepares top-quality furniture in Punjab and exports $8 million to $12 million worth of it annually to the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the US. Meanwhile, China is seeking to establish better and more furniture trade by creating Pakistani outlets in its major cities.
Football
Pakistan holds the prestigious place of being the best quality football producer in the world, among other sports goods. Pakistan exported 37.28 million footballs worldwide worth $153.018 million in 2018, and the footballs manufactured in Pakistan are often used in FIFA tournaments. Telstar and Brazuca were Pakistani manufactured footballs that were used during consecutive FIFA World Cups in Russia and Brazil, respectively. The country also holds the distinction of providing hand-stitched football for all the world cups from 1990 to 2010.
Seafood
Pakistan annually exports a large quantity of fresh and healthy shrimps and prawns worldwide, and the country globally shipped $264.18 million worth of fish between 2017 and 2018, especially to its two chief seafood importers, The European Union and China.
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