In 1997-98, Pakistan was able to export products worth $95 million to India, in comparison with exports of $36 million in 1996-97, owing to a surplus output of sugar that helped to boost outbound trade, the official told IANS. On the other hand, Pakistan's imports from India declined by 27 per cent, from $204 million worth in 1996-97 to $150.55 million in 1997-98, the EPB official said.

Pakistan sold 25 items to India and purchased 26 items in 1997- 98. Sugar, fruit and vegetables comprised the bulk of the exports, amounting to about $90 million. The other items exported included fish worth $290,000, spices worth $100,000, oil seeds and oleaginous fruits worth $605,000, raw cotton worth $68,000, wood worth $388,000, salt worth $330,000, crude vegetable material worth $1.22 million, medicinal and pharmaceuticalproducts worth $16,000, leather worth $928,000, cotton worth $73,000 and yarn and thread worth $61,000.

Pakistan's imports from India included $12.4 million worth of fruit and vegetables (including pulses), sugar worth $12.9 million, tea worth $8.8 million, spices worth $4.1 million, and animal feed worth $25.4 million. In 1996-97, Pakistan imported sugar, onions and potatoes in large quantities from India and in 1997-98 the trend was reversed into bulk exports in these commodities from Pakistan. The two countries have bilateral trade links by sea as well as by rail .