Pakistan’s raw cotton imports increased 42 per cent in fiscal July to January as compared to the same period last year. In January 2020, Pakistan’s raw cotton imports surged 51.2 per cent as compared to January 2019. The country’s trade deficit shrank by 28.4 per cent in the first seven months of fiscal ’20. Total textile imports including raw cotton, synthetic fiber, synthetic and artificial silk yarn, worn clothing and other textile items rose 32 per cent in January 2020 as compared to January 2019.

Pakistan is trying to increase its textile exports. Presently, its share is 1.6 per cent in the world textile trade. Efforts are on to increase this to three per cent by 2025. The potential of home-grown cotton will be fully utilized augmented by manmade fiber/filament to boost value-added exports and become a major player in the global textile supply chain. Among the objectives are restoring the profitability of cotton farmers by increasing cotton yields, improving the quality of cotton and decreasing the cost of production for farmers, strengthening the manmade fiber/filament sector to make this chain internationally competitive and export oriented, long-term financing facility for the entire textile value chain, revival of impaired textile capacity and establishment of textile clusters and export processing zones with plug and play facilities.