Panels propose capping yarn exports to 550mn kg

ISLAMABAD: The Standing Committees on Textile Industry of Senate and National Assembly on Thursday jointly recommended capping of yarn exports to 550 million kilogram for the current fiscal year. 
 
The Senate committee met in the Parliament House and was co-chaired by head of the National Assembly Committee on Textile Akram Ansari.


Due to heated debate between the yarn manufacturers and the representatives of Pakistan Apparel Forum, the committee members decided to shut its doors for all outsiders and the decision on yarn export was taken behind the closed doors.
 
The yarn manufacturers rejected the joint decision of the standing committees, however.

The final decision in this regard would be made in the Cabinet’s Special Committee on Textile, scheduled to meet on Friday.

Talking to media after the meeting, Gul Muhammad Lot, the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on textile, said that the decision had been taken in view of serious problems faced by the textile sector.

“Average annual yarn exports during the last three years had been 525 million kilogram, therefore keeping in view higher yarn production this year the export quantity for the current fiscal year has been fixed at 550 million kilogram,” Mr Gul said.

He added that the committee had also noted that the knitwear, hosiery and apparel sectors were facing serious problems as yarn was not available in the markets.

The committee was informed that 368 million kilogram of yarn had already been exported to China. Jawed Bilwani of Pakistan Apparel Forum said that the country had an edge over the competitors in coarse textiles like denim.

“This is right time to hit the international markets as the cotton crops have failed in most of the countries,” Mr Bilwani told the committee, adding but at the same time the Chinese are continuously buying yarn from here leaving noting for the local industry.

He said due to dearth of coarse textile globally the international buyers had placed higher orders for Pakistan.
Responding to a question by the committee members that despite all efforts of the government textile exports were declining, Mr Bilwani said that in past several years the domestic demand for quality products had increased.