Export via Attari-Wagah dips 17% in Apr-Nov

Export from India via Attari-Wagah border declined by 17 per cent in value terms and 30 per cent in volume in the April-November period this financial year. This was primarily because of recessionary pressure.

The overall export from India through the route plummeted to Rs 830.47 crore during the period, against Rs 996.35 crore in the previous financial year — a decline of whopping Rs 165.88 crore — according to the customs department data.

Similarly, in terms of volume, goods export from India saw a major decline, with export quantity dipping by 30 per cent to 342,000 mt in the period, compared with 489,000 mt last year.

India mainly exports soyabean, dyes, tyres, tubes, chemicals, spices, cardamom, red chillies through rail route, while it also exports perishable commodities like onion, potato, tomato, garlic, livestock, cotton and maize through road route.

“Export from India has been hit because of overall recession that led to decline in demand for commodities from Pakistan,” a senior customs department official said in Amritsar.

Notably, during 2008-09, total export from India posted a robust growth of 26 per cent, to Rs 1,302.30 crore from Rs 1,033.40 crore in 2007-08, on the back of the commencement of cross-border movement of commercial trucks in 2007.

Interestingly, export of perishable goods through Attari-Wagah land route rose by 10 per cent to Rs 377.99 crore during April till November this year, despite Pakistan imposing heavy taxes on the import of potato, onion and tomato from India in June this year.

The Pakistan government had imposed 16 per cent sales tax on the import of onion and potato and 4 per cent income tax on potato, onion and tomato, according to Indian exporters. “Had there not been taxes on perishable commodities, exports would have grown considerably,” an Amritsar-based exporter said.

Imports from Pakistan through the route have also suffered, with the total import to India falling by 2.24 per cent to Rs 509.21 crore from Rs 520.88 crore in the corresponding period of last financial year. India mainly imports dry fruits, which mostly come from Afghanistan.

However, collections of customs department rose by 38 per cent to Rs 81.55 crore in eight months starting April, from Rs 58.95 crore last year.