All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) is one of the largest trade association of Pakistan was founded in 1952 and since then has been the foremost association concerning the textile business in Pakistan.
The textile industry of Pakistan contributes 8.5% of the GDP and employs 38% of the workforce in the manufacturing sector. It is responsible for about 55% of total exports.
Exports statistics show our progress in the last 5 to 6 years and how we foresee huge challenges under the new rules of international trade.
Export of textile products has reached $ 10.62 billion in the year 2007-08 from $ 5.5 billion in the year 2003-04 i.e. an increase of $ 5.12 billion in value term or by 93% and it still have the potential to beat this rate of growth in future.
The question is what we need to do to maintain or improve the growth of this industry?
The way international trade is evolving is neither free nor fair. There is continued downward pressure of unit prices of textile goods, while the raw material prices and cost of doing business are increasing drastically.
Even though, Textile Industry of Pakistan is indeed passing through a very crucial juncture due to the prevailing socio-economic and political climate. In particular, the Textile sector is exposed to extreme competition after the phasing out of quota besides facing resistance from developed countries in the name of Social Compliance, Environmental & Effluent Treatment Plants, Anti-Dumping, Counter-Veiling and Safeguard Accusations. To increase competitiveness and quality of products, textile industry requires investment in technology for meeting the new challenges. Over the last few years the textile sector has invested about US$ 6.0 billion in modernization and higher value addition, but due to continuous rise in cost of doing business resulting from enhancement in the cotton prices, utilities, inflation and bank refinancing rate on exports, Pakistan is becoming uncompetitive and loosing share in the international market.
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