ISLAMABAD: Tea imports into the country during financial year ended on June 30, 2023 reduced by 9.13 percent as compared the imports of the corresponding period of last year. During the period from June-July, 2022-23 about 231,449 metric tons of tea costing $556.043 million were imported as against the imports of 253,748 metric tons valuing $626.195 million of same period last year, according the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

Meanwhile, imports of sugar decreased by 97.06 percent during 12 months of last fiscal year as 6,205 metric tons of sugar valuing $0.0546 million million imported as compared the imports of 312,477 metric tons costing $191.720 million of same period last year. In last fiscal year spices imports into the country also decreased by 30.04 percent as 147,193 metric tons of different spices worth of $151.240 million were imported during the period under review as compared the imports of 138,413 metric tons valuing $216.183 million of same period last year.

It is worth mentioning here that food group imports into the country during the period under review decreased by 0.88 percent as compared to the imports of the corresponding period of last year. During the period from July-June, 2022-23, the country spent $8.936 billion on the import of different food commodities as compared to the imports of $9.016 billion in the same period last year in order to fulfill the local requirements. On the other hand the exports of food commodities from the country decreased by 7.25 percent as it was recorded at $5.0222 billion as against the exports of $5.415 billion of the corresponding period of last year.