Business

Men’s garments export to China up by 36%

Crosses $4.36 million in first two months of 2023 from $3.21 million in 2022

April 12, 2023

Exports to India decreased from $0.101 million in the previous year to $0.044 million. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD:

China has become an important trading partner for Pakistan, with Chinese companies increasingly sourcing garments from Pakistan due to their competitive prices.

According to Ghulam Qadir, Commercial Counsellor at the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing, the high quality of Pakistani men’s garments and their robust manufacturing capabilities have contributed to a 36% increase in Pakistani men’s garment exports to China in the first two months of 2023.

“In January-February of this year, men’s garment exports from Pakistan to China crossed $4.36 million while in the same period in 2022, it was $3.21 million, showing an increase of 36%. The top products were men’s or boys’ trousers of cotton community code (61034200) worth $2.57 million whereas January-February of 2022 it was $1.27 million,” Qadir stated.

It is worth mentioning that Pakistani men’s garment annual exports to China in 2022 were $28.66 million, while in 2021, it was $21.62 million, an increase of nearly 33%. Men’s or boys’ trousers of cotton worth $17.94 million remained the top items.

The rise in exports is also attributed to the increased demand for Pakistani apparel from Chinese consumers, who have been looking for more stylish clothing options. Pakistani T-shirt exports to China also reached $5.53 million in the first two months of 2023, up more than 106% compared to the same period in 2022.

THE ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON THE CHINA ECONOMIC NET

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2023.

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

COMMENTS (2)

Abdul Kabeer | 1 year ago | Reply Its good new that garments exports are increasing. There is no doubt that Pakistan produces good quality garments. Unfortunately our textile garments companies haven t worked for themselves and for the country. They are and remained in their comfort zone. They haven t tried to project their brand internationally. What they did is they sold and are selling their quality products at very cheap nominal rates to the foreign big brands and making them big and wealthy at the cost of the nation and Pakistan. They are just getting nominal margins and other sort of earnings in form of rebates sales tax refunds export subsidies and concessions from Government of Pakistan. Every year we see appeals from the All Pakistan Textile Mills Associations APTMA that our textile industry is at the verge of collapse and requesting government to do this to do that and so on otherwise industry will collapse. It s still high time we should wake-up. This is apparent that selling your own products in local markets are more lucrative then exporting these. As all of them are growing locally over the decade. They also realize that. But still they are not willing to go internationally and build their own brand. Now its time to work for themselves and come out of comfort zone. Pakistan is the fifth largest producer of cotton in the world except for few years due to natural disasters and importantly also holds the third largest spinning capacity in Asia after China and India with thousands of ginning and spinning units producing textile products from cotton. Abundant skilled and cheap labour force. Despite all these our textile exports are far less than Bangladesh s garments exports which doesn t produce cotton. Is it because of the Government or because of our own inefficiencies and selling products to the brands at low price rather than building own brand thus remained in comfort zone. Way forward I suggest that APTAMA or PEGMA or big textile exporters collectively should create textile marketing buying house company to be registered in Europe. It should create own brand do aggressive marketing and brand building launch brand in the Europe and expand it across the globe build retail online platforms. It should have R D center s and center for fashion designing in one of fashion hub city of Europe where collective R D could be done according to the latest fashion. Orders shall be placed with the local textile manufacturing companies of the Pakistan according to the capacity capability expertise share and etc. This will enable local textile exporters to have no or less reliance on foreign big brands. Local exporter will have better margins and international exposures.

Replying to X