ISLAMABAD: Amid severe economic crisis, Pakistan spends over $436.677 million on tea imports during the first eight months of the current financial year.
The tea imports grew by 10.13% as compared to the total value of the same period of last year.
From July-February 2023-24 about 180,509 metric tonnes of tea worth at $436.677 million was imported, according to the statistics of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
On monthly basis, the tea imports into the country increased by 38.53% as 18,685 metric tonnes of tea worth $45.269 million was consumed as compared to the consumption of 15,365 metric tonnes costing $32.678 million in the corresponding month of the previous year.
However, the imports of edible oil including palm and soyabean into Pakistan during the period under review reduced by 48.10% and 32.47% as compared to the imports of the same period of the last year.
Palm oil imports into the country reduced from $2.681 billion to $1.810 billion as over 1.959 million metric tonnes of palm oil were imported as compared to the imports of 1.115 million metric tonnes of the same period last year.
Meanwhile, about 97,455 metric tons of soyabean oil worth at $105.664 million were imported as compared to the imports of 140,120 metric tonnes costing $203.578 million, showing negative trend of 48.10%.
However, on monthly basis, the imports of soyabean oil increased by 35.34%, and palm oil 5,505 metric tonnes worth at $5.674 million were imported as compared to the imports of 3,250 metric tonnes costing $4.192 million of the same month of previous year.
In February 2024 over 224,074 metric tonnes of palm oil worth $199.078 million was also imported as against the imports of 223,296 metric tonnes costing $234.568 million in the same period of last year.
It is pertinent to mention that the food group exports from Pakistan during the first eight months of the current financial year grew by 54.05% as compared to the exports of the corresponding period of last year.
