Falling textile exports: Major textile exporters not to attend fair in Germany

‘Major textile exporters not to attend fair in Germany’

Staff Report

LAHORE: Major textile exporters are not attending in prominent Textile Fair – Heimtextil in Germany January 2007 – and many among participants have reduced their stall sizes in view of continuous decline in textile exports and uncompetitive prices of Pakistani products, said Rana Arif Tauseef, former Chairman Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA).

In a press statement, he further stated that Indian exporters were taking the stalls vacated by Pakistani exporters and it would be first time that cheaper Indian exports would be contesting the costly Pakistani products side by side. He expressed apprehensions that this would render a severe setback to Pakistani exports and the country would lose its traditional export market. He said that the textile exports in the country were continuously declining over the last 15 months from July 2005.

The declining trend has overflowed in current fiscal year, as the textile exports from July-October, 2006 period are $ 3.2 billions against same period July-October, 2005 exports $ 3.5 billions reflecting a decline of 9.11%.