According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), $5,420.93 million was earned during July-March period of FY2003-04 as against last year's $4,722.19 million.

The amount earned during the nine months of this fiscal year is slightly higher than the period's strategic export target ($5419 million) set by the EPB.

EPB officials attributed the growth to substantial increase in export volume as prices of Bangladeshi products did not increase to that extent.

Prices picked up by 1.22 percent on average but volume went up by 13.58 percent during the period, an EPB official said.

Export performances of almost all sectors including woven garments, knitwear, frozen food, ceramic tableware, textile fabrics, home textile, leather, footwear, agricultural products, tea and engineering products this year were better than last year's.

However, handicraft, raw jute, jute goods, bicycle, petroleum byproducts could not achieve their respective targets during the period.

Export of woven garments fetched $2579.69 million showing a 9.79 percent growth while knitwear ($1485.15 million) recorded a 25.42 percent increase. Tea export amounted to $14 million showing an 11.25 percent growth.

"The performance in March 2004 was outstanding as the earning was $627.28 million against the target of $552 million and it was 22.13 percent higher than that of March 2003," the EPB official mentioned.

In the first nine months of FY04, frozen foods worth $273.61 million were exported marking a 13.11 percent rise from last fiscal's corresponding period. Leather exports ($147.16 million) posted a 7.8 percent growth.

Jute goods export ($186 million) failed to achieve the target and recorded a 3.84 percent negative growth. Raw jute worth $52 million was exported against the target of $78 million, also shows a 9.54 percent negative growth.

The export performance of handicraft sector was dull this fiscal as products worth only $2.48 million were exported during the nine-month period, showing a 51.37 percent decline from the target.