The Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA) has demanded the government to restrict the export of raw cotton and cotton-yarn to countries competing with Pakistan's value-added textile products in the international market. The Value Added Apparel Exports are facing serious decline because of unrestricted export of Cotton and Cotton Yarn.
By allowing unbridled export of cotton and cotton yarn to our competing countries, we are arming our neighbouring and other competing countries that find it beneficial to use it, enabling them to compete with our Value Added Apparel exporters in the international market.
It is important to note that the Value Added Apparel sector is converting raw cotton of 50 cent a pound into Value Added finished goods worth 5 to 6 dollars apiece, earning valuable foreign exchange for the country. The PHMA said that our Value Added Apparel Sector is reeling under immense pressure of high costs of doing business, rising utility rates and several other problems. Further, the unrestricted export would lead to further closures of large number of export oriented units.-PR