Export earnings fell 11.74 percent year-on-year to $3.21 billion in August because of slowdown in shipment of major items such as garments, leather and leather goods and jute and jute goods.

The receipts in July were $3.58 billion.

Exports, however, rose 2.51 percent year-on-year to $6.79 billion in the July-August period and the earnings were 3.24 percent higher than the $6.58 billion target set for the two-month period, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau.

In July-August, the shipment of garments, which contribute more than 80 percent to the national exports, grew only 3.82 percent to $5.73 billion.

Knitwear items fetched $2.91 billion and woven items $2.82 billion in July-August, up 1.53 percent and 6.28 percent respectively compared with the corresponding period a year ago.

Overseas sales of jute and jute goods declined 15.57 percent to $131.13 million in the first two months of the current fiscal year.

Earnings from the exports of leather and leather goods also dropped by 26.26 percent to $183 million in July-August.

Home textile shipment brought home $134.35 million, falling 4.53 percent.

Frozen and live

fish exports declined 30.23 percent to

$87.20 million in July-August.

Exports of agricultural products rose 68.05 percent to $177.70 million and handicrafts 11.52 percent to $3 million.

Pharmaceutical exports were up 19.10 percent to $18.77 million.

Terry towel shipment grew 22.05 percent to $8.08 million and ceramic exports went up by 297.18 percent to $29.59 million.