Significant rise in knitwear, leather, petroleum by-products, textile fabrics, raw jute contributed to the overall export growth during July-November period of the 2005-06 financial year over the same period of the previous fiscal, according to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) statistics.

The knitwear export grew by 24.73 percent to fetch $ 1459.83 million exceeding the target set for the first five months.

However, the overall export performance was 1.53 percent behind the five-month target.

"The shortfall is not significant in the perspective of overall performance," said a high official of EBP hoping it is possible to achieve the target if the present trend continues.

Product diversification and maintaining global standard can help the country to increase the export in the days to come, he felt.

Woven products, one of the major export earners, continue to see the positive growth fetching $ 1533.34 million during the period.

Textile fabrics worth $ 18.12 million were exported during the period, registering the highest 279.87 percent growth.

Frozen food, another major foreign exchange earner, worth $ 196.91 million was exported, registering a 7.36 percent negative growth during the period.

Leather fetched $ 96.21 million during the period, showing a 14 percent growth. Raw jute and jute goods exports also rose by 72.12 and 15.89 percent in the first five months of the current financial year.

Agricultural products worth $ 46.20 million were exported while jute goods valued at 136.34 million were exported during the period.

Tea, vegetables, agro-processed food, pharmaceuticals, motor parts, iron chain, home textile, and frozen food saw negative growth during the period.

Export volume rose 17.75 percent while price index dipped 5.02 percent during July-November period of the current financial year.