New Delhi, Apr 30 (KNN) India’s apparel exports have declined by 5.75 per cent to USD 12.92 billion in 2012-13 from USD 13.71 billion in 2011-12 even as smaller countries like Bangladesh and Turkey registered increase in their shipments.

“Exports in dollar terms for 12 months of the financial year (FY) 2012-13 have declined by six per cent over the same period of previous FY and reached USD 12.92 billion,” Chairman, Apparel Export Promotion Council, A Sakthivel said in a statement here.

However, apparel exports amounted to USD 1.38 billion in March 2012-13 with an increase of 12 per cent against the corresponding month of the last financial year.
Significantly, India’s export to traditional markets like EU and the USA and Canada also declined.

Exports to EU amounted to USD 5.12 billion with a decline of 21 per cent over the previous year while shipments to Canada were around USD 271 million in 2012, down by 13 per cent from 2011.

On the other hand countries like Bangladesh and Turkey registered an increase in apparel export during the period of January-February 2013.

“For the period Jan-Feb 2013 apparel suppliers like Bangladesh and Turkey have registered increase in the apparel export to EU and China and India has registered decline,” said Sakthivel.

But, in rupee terms, India’s exports increased by seven per cent compared to last year. In April-March 2012-13 apparel exports of India were Rs 70,312 crore compared to Rs 65,709 crore in April-March 2011-12.

Sakthivel called for either banning of cotton exports from India or allowing garments exporters to import duty free yarn and fabrics to ensure price competitiveness of Indian apparel.

He also asked for duty credit scrip at five per cent of garment exports for export performance in the year 2012 -13 and issuance of duty credit scrip from 2013 -14 onwards.  (KNN)