Demand for high-end textile machinery increasing

Textile sales likely to grow despite energy crisis and security fears.

KARACHI:

Textile machinery importers and assemblers have expressed hope of seeing good times ahead, as demand for specialised machinery has consistently been increasing over the last one year.

Speaking to The Express Tribune at the two-day 8th International Textile Machinery Show 2011, Al Murtaza Machinery CEO Asif Ali Rashid said, “High-end textile machinery sales in Pakistan have shown a continuous upward trend since March 2010.”

Rashid explained that despite the energy crisis and security problems in the country, textile machinery importers were expecting better sales this year compared with dismal performances in 2009 and 2010.

Comparing the textile machinery show to those of previous years, he said that the number of visitors was not the only statistic that should be looked at. “We cannot lose hope due to low attendance in this show, as participants are from the targeted segment of society and are genuine buyers,” he said.

Several textile industries are currently involved in expanding businesses and importing high-end machinery, while many small industry players have left the market over the last couple of years. With international demand for locally-produced denim apparel picking up momentum, the demand for imported machinery is also rising.

Pakistan imports most of its textile machinery from countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Japanese machinery is the most expensive, followed by machinery from Taiwan, Korea and China. The price of Japanese high-end machinery is up to five times the price of Chinese middle-end machinery.

SWS Chairman Bashir Ahmed, a leading textile machinery importer, said local industries were importing top embroidery machinery for value-addition, which is a positive sign.

“We assemble most of our machinery ourselves in Taiwan and then bring them to Pakistan. Owing to low labour costs, several top companies, particularly from Japan, have shifted to China,” he informed.

Customers are now aware of the latest technologies available in the world market, which presents a significant challenge for importers, he added.

At the exhibition, importance was also given to hi-tech embroidery machinery, with several high-end, middle-end and low-end machines being displayed for customers.

SWS Sales and Marketing Director Muhammad Junaid said annual growth rate of embroidery machinery sales in the country stood between 10 and 20 per cent.

The noticeable growth in sales of embroidery garments in recent years has also played a crucial part in the high import of machinery, he said, adding that some top fashion designers had contacted the company for assistance in the import process.



Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2011.