46pc rise in Q1 exports to SAARC countries

Bangladesh's exports to member-countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) increased by 46 per cent in the first quarter (July-September) of the current fiscal (2014-15) compared to that of the corresponding period of the last fiscal.
Although the country's total exports increased marginally by about 0.88 per cent during the July-September period, the exports to SAARC countries marked a sharp increase, the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) said.
The SAARC is a regional grouping of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Data released by the EPB showed that Bangladesh's exports to SAARC countries during the July-September period of current fiscal amounted to US$ 168.866 million against $115.588 million during the same period in last fiscal (2012-13) registering a growth of 46.09 per cent.
Exports to Bhutan increased substantially though it remained at a very low level of $1.756 million as against $0.440 million during the same period in last fiscal.
Bangladesh usually exports ready-made garments, pharmaceuticals, melamine, toilet soap, dry food, fruit juice, energy drinks and mineral water to Bhutan.
Bangladesh's exports to India, the highest among the SAARC countries, amounted to $143.954 million during the period as against $91.750 million during the same period in last fiscal marking a growth of about 57 per cent.
The Bangladesh's exports to India included readymade garments, raw jute and jute goods, fish, leather, ceramics, minerals, cotton waste and iron/steel.
Although Bangladesh's exports to India increased in recent days, businessmen have termed it very insignificant in terms of India's exports to Bangladesh that stood at $6.036 billion in last fiscal. Bangladesh's total export stood of $456.633 million to India leaving a trade gap of $5.579 billion. Despite duty-free and quota-free access of Bangladeshi products to Indian market, Bangladeshi exporters still cannot penetrate the market due to various non-tariff and para-tariff barriers, sources said.
"Apart from inadequate border infrastructure, non-tariff and para-tariff barriers, similarity of exportable items and non-diversification also impede the growth of Bangladesh's trade with India," said an EPB official stressing more focus on product and market diversification.
Bangladesh's exports to Afghanistan, the Maldives and Pakistan also experienced a positive growth during the period as against their exports during the same period in the previous fiscal.
Goods worth about $1.209 million were exported to the strife-torn Afghanistan during the period as against $0.889 million during the same time in last fiscal registering a growth of about 36 per cent.
The lowest volume of exports to the SAARC countries went to the Maldives during the period as the figure was only $0.528 million as against $0.422 million in the previous fiscal.
Exports to the island country also experienced a growth of 25 per cent.  
The country's exports to Pakistan also increased marginally during the period. Pakistan received $13.342 million worth of goods from Bangladesh during the period as against that worth $11.755 million in the same period a year ago.
Exports to other SAARC countries, including Nepal and Sri Lanka, declined during the period with a negative growth of 40.61 per cent and 12.11 per cent respectively.
Goods worth about $2.092 million were shipped to Nepal in July-September period as against $3.523 million during the same period last year.
Sri Lanka also imported goods worth about $5.981 million from Bangladesh as against $6.806 million during the same period a year ago.
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