Pakistan: textile bodies seek ban on cotton exports
Several textile associations in Pakistan have urged the government to either ban raw cotton and coarse yarn exports from the country or levy a 15% duty on their exports, so as to safeguard the domestic textile industry against rising cost of doing business and competition.
All Pakistan Textile Mills Association’s (APTMA) representative Yasin Siddik, Pakistan Apparel Forum’s (PAF) Jawed Bilwani, Pakistan Towel Manufacturers Association’s (PTMA) Feroze Azam and Karachi Cotton Association’s (KCA) Shakeel Ahmad made the plea, while indicating the decline in exports of value-added textile items from the country.
The associations said that cost of doing business for the value-added textile industry has increased, as exports have led to shortage of raw cotton, cotton yarn and polyester fibre, the basic raw materials used by the domestic value-added textile industry.
Mr. Ahmad of the KCA said that even while retaining high-quality, Pakistan’s cotton and coarse yarn are still cheaper than those from other countries. He said that the government is acting biased towards the ginning sector and it is neglecting the interests of the country’s biggest employment and foreign exchange generating value-added textile industry.
While the domestic value-added industries use around 75% of the local yarn, the remaining 25% is exported to countries such as Thailand, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, he said.
He added that intervention of the Ministry of Textile and Ministry of Commerce in the free textile trade regime would negatively affect the country’s value-added exports.
