All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has urged the Ministry of Commerce and Textile to lift restrictions on import of cotton from Mozambique, Mali and Tajikistan, sources in Textile Division told Business Recorder.

Shahid Sattar, Executive Director, APTMA, sources said, has talked to Dr Falak Naz, Director General, Plant Protect Department, saying that APTMA's member mills are facing difficulty in obtaining import permits from Mozambique, Mali and Tajikistan; he maintained that cotton from these countries was allowed to be imported in the past.

"Pakistan is facing severe shortage of raw cotton and fresh restrictions at this stage on import of cotton will have an extremely negative impact on the industry and consequently on exports," he said, adding that the restrictions on import of cotton from these countries must be included in the list of cotton importing countries so that the industry and exports do not suffer unnecessarily.

Pakistan has missed cotton sowing targets, largely in Sindh, due to acute water shortage attributed to climate change. The situation may lead to low cotton production compared to the target of 14 million bales in the next season (2018-19) as well.

Recently, a member of National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and Textile, MNA Raza Nasrullah raised the issue of higher duty on import of cotton from Central Asian States, which, according to him, was even higher than the price of American cotton.

Secretary Commerce acknowledged that Commerce Division has a difference of opinion on duty/ tariff issues with other public stakeholders.