Nike, a major US group, has shown interest in coming back to Pakistan for business and resume football and sports apparels import. Nike management told Secretary Industries, Shahab Khawaja here during a meeting the other day that it was interested in doing business with Pakistani partners subject to compliance of social responsibilities on their part, besides improving football and sports apparels' quality.
It demanded that football and apparels exporters belonging to Sialkot should understand the changing world demand and come up with the new ideas and applications of technology for their products.
Nike, being one of major groups in the USA, used to import huge quantity of football and sports apparels from Sialkot. It walked out of Pakistan in 2006 on the pretext that its business partners were not producing quality products for its customers.
It also raised other questions such as non-compliance of social requirements by Pakistani exporters terming it as a major reason of its exit from Pakistan. It showed dissatisfaction over football quality.
Sialkot-based football manufacturers heavily depend on handmade quality. They did not invest in technology application and lost many major buyers like Nike in the global market.
This is not the only case, which has hit hard Pakistan's efforts to increase share in international market for trade and secure more exports. In many other areas Pakistan lost buyers for not shifting to technology use from traditional manual working style. The outdated style of manufacturing really gave a big blow to Pakistan's sports' exports.
After exit from Pakistan, Nike shifted its business to China and some other countries for import of football and sports apparels. However, the government is making all possible efforts to bring Nike back to Pakistan and help exporters to again get its orders for export of football and sports apparels.
Shahab Khawaja's meeting with Nike management in Portland, Oregon was in the same context. He is in Portland to attend a Global Conference on Competitiveness.
Khawaja told Business Recorder that his meeting with Nike management was very encouraging and it is going to bring good result for Pakistan. He said, "I told Nike management that the government of Pakistan was taking practical steps to make sure that football and sports apparels exporters provide the best quality products and at the same time they meet social responsibilities requirements.
Khawaja added that Nike 's head of corporate division is going to visit Pakistan likely in November this year to see what Pakistan has done in practical terms to encourage the use of technology and social sector responsibilities compliance. The Secretary was confident that his meeting would prove successful in bring Nike back to Pakistan for import of football and sports apparels.