222 textile exporters of home textile bed-wear and towel manufactures displayed their products in the exhibition. PHOTO: FILE
FAISALABAD:
Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) Chairman Sheikh Ilyas Mahmood said exporters are expecting to get foreign orders worth $1 billion from Heimtextil as the Pakistani commodity has been an attractive one on the opening day of the world’s largest home textile event in Germany.
While talking to members of the association on Thursday, Mahmood said that though Pakistani exhibitors were fewer this year than compared to the previous years, they got a positive response from international buyers.
“Heimtextil holds a great importance for Pakistani textile exporters,” said Mahmood. “Retailers around the globe visit this fair for new fashion trends and to place their orders for the upcoming spring season.”
World’s renowned departmental stores like Walmart and JC Penney also stock their inventories through this exhibition.
Pakistan has been a big participant of the Heimtextil for the last several years and has been earning foreign exchange every year by getting export orders through this event. This year, 222 textile exporters of home textile bed-wear and towel manufactures displayed their products in the exhibition.
Mahmood termed the GSP Plus status as a great edge for Pakistani textiles and said that the duty-waiver facility has provided great support to the exporters, enabling them to compete well with regional rivals in the international market.
“At the opening day of the exhibition, our exporters were confident, while the rival exporters failed to receive a response. However, Chinese exporters are a tough competition to the Pakistanis.
“Despite deceptive propaganda that Pakistani exporters could not fulfill their export commitment on time due to energy shortage, Pakistani textiles have received positive response from the buyers.
“We have introduced new designs and products to our customers for quality checking and they showed interest to place new orders.”
Mehmood said the textile industry constitutes a large share of Pakistani exports and have the ability to support the sagging economy of the country. “With better access to the EU market, Pakistan is expecting to achieve $14.5 billion of textile exports by the end of fiscal year 2014.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 10th, 2014.
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COMMENTS (3)
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@ fahim stop bashing our textile industry as far as i know(i might be wrong) other regional competitors already had GSP plus status and we were still giving them a fight now that Pakistan has the GSP plus status to it will be a fair competition P.S it is not considered begging if you are just asking for a fair chance.
Pakistan has an increase of exhibitors this year as compared to last years. Figures are available online.
it seems we cannot do anything ourselves, based on our product and pricing... only once these countries give us some benefits like GSP, after begging to them on our knees, we are shest thumping here... go out in open market and compete sir, then we will see where we stand in competition... everyone can win by begging...