According to Pakistan's Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan, the country’s export target for 2006-07 has been set at around $20 billion. The expected figures for 2005-06 are likely to exceed the target of $17 billion as a result of greater preferential market access in several countries, particularly in the USA, China and Sri Lanka.

"The export proceeds will be in the range of $17 billion to $18 billion by the end of the current fiscal year," the Minister told local media.

Official statistics released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics showed that exports reached $10.577 billion during the period July to February 2006 of the current fiscal year, rising 19.71% from the $8.835 billion recorded during the same period in the prior year.

On a monthly basis, exports increased by 9.3% to $1.274 billion in February 2006 against $1.166 billion in the same month last year.