Shipment to SAARC countries down by 18pc last fiscal year

Bangladesh's exports to SAARC countries dropped by 18.75 per cent in the last fiscal (2013-14), reflecting the nation's lower trade with regional countries even as total shipment surged around 12 per cent same year.
While the country's total export climbed by 11.65 per cent during the July-June period, the exports to SAARC countries marked a sharp decline, the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) said. SAARC is a regional grouping that includes Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Data released by the EPB showed that Bangladesh's exports to SAARC in the last fiscal amounted to US$ 560.370 million against $ 689.677 million in the previous fiscal (2012-13) registering a decline of 18.75 per cent.
Lack of trust, non tariff barriers, under developed port facilities, non diversification of export items and lack of infrastructural facilities are widely seen as the main reasons behind the lackluster performance.
The amount represents only 1.86 per cent of the country's total export of $ 30.5 billion in last fiscal. The amount was 2.55 per cent of the country's total export in 2012-13 and 2.84 per cent a year ago.
Bangladesh's export to India, as per EPB figure, was the highest among the SAARC countries reaching $ 456.633 million--or 81.48 percent of the total export in the region. The amount was $ 563.960 million in last fiscal representing a drastic fall of Bangladesh export to the neighbouring India. The export earnings from India was $ 498.419 million in 2011-12.
The lowest amount of export among the SAARC countries went to the Maldives during the period as the figure was only $ 1.706 million as against $ 1.533 million in the previous fiscal.
Exports to most of the SAARC countries, including India, were declined drastically during the period, with Nepal and Pakistan topping the list of low-importing countries.
Nepal and Pakistan experienced a negative growth of 48.17 per cent and 18.43 per cent respectively. Goods worth about $ 13.687 million were shipped to Nepal in July-June period of last fiscal as against $ 26.407 million during the same period in the previous year. Pakistan also received goods worth about $ 56.037 million as against $ 68.700 million during the same period a year ago.
Bangladesh exports to Sri Lanka, however, experienced a growth of 13.19 per cent during the period as against the export during the same period in the previous fiscal. Goods worth about $ 26.810 million were exported to the island nation in July-June period of last fiscal as against $ 23.685 million during the same time in the previous fiscal (2012-13).
The country's export to other SAARC countries like Afghanistan and Bhutan increased marginally during the period. Afghanistan received $ 3.598 million export from Bangladesh during the period as against 3.573 million in the same period a year ago. Export to Bhutan amounted to $ 1.905 million as against $ 1.817 million during the same period in the previous fiscal.
Among SAARC countries Bangladesh received highest export earnings from India, but export received a serious jolt in last fiscal registering a negative growth of about 19.03 per cent.  
Bangladesh's export to India has been growing gradually and reached more than a half a billion dollar in 2012-13 from $289.42 million in 2006-07. But the last fiscal was an exceptional, although export of readymade garment (RMG) has increased substantially during the period.  
Analysts and businessmen attributed the reasons mainly to appreciation of local currency against Indian Rupee and various non-tariff barriers including testing and certification and weak border infrastructure that dampen the export potentials to the neighouring country. Some of them also blamed diplomatic failure for the scenario.
Officials attributed the reasons mainly to lack of initiative and narrow export base as well as various non-tariff barriers hindering the intra-regional trade.
Bangladesh's major exports to the SAARC countries include fertiliser, raw jute, frozen fish, textile fabrics, leather, sacks and bags, betel nut, knitwear, home textile, woven garment, battery, machinery,/ pharmaceuticals, melamine and ceramic tableware.
The country imports yarn, cotton, fabrics, food items, live animal, vegetables, mineral products, chemical or allied products, plastic, textiles and textile articles, wood pulp, vehicles and transport equipment.