The countrys export earnings increased by about 26 percent to $ 6,220 million during the first half of the current fiscal year,200607. The export figure was also 3.6 percent higher than the target of $ 6,006 million set for the period (JulyDecember 06), according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB). The December 2006 exports rose to $ 1,175 million exceeding the target of $ 1,056 million.

The price of export items increased by less than one percent while the volume rose by 25 percent. The price of export items, particularly the manufactured ones, increased marginally (0.46 percent). Woven garments registered 24 percent growth to US$ 2,368 million during the JulyDecember period, which is six percent up from the strategic target of US$ 2,234 million for the period. Knitwear exports were up 32 percent to US$ 2,362 million crossing the target of US$ 2,328 million by over one percent.

Frozen foods, engineering products, home textiles, footwear, ceramic products, handicrafts, cut flower and agroprocessed foods have done well and exceeded the target for the period. Leather, raw jute, bicycle, textile fabrics, petroleum byproducts, melamine tableware, camera parts, leather bags and parts and computer services have battered the performance but could not achieve the target. Pharmaceuticals, chemical fertilizer, agriproducts, jute goods, tea and electronics lagged behind the target and last years performance as well.