‘Smuggled cloths incur $6bn loss’

LAHORE: Textile industry is losing a consumer market worth nearly six billion dollars annually to secondhand, smuggled and imported garments abundantly arriving in Pakistan, said its leader on Saturday.
Chairman All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) SM Tanveer, referring to the last fiscal year’s data, said textile industry consumed three million tons of fibres to produce garments predominantly meant for exports.
Tanveer added that textile products having 2.5 million tons of fiber were exported in one form or the other, while half a million was consumed in the domestic market.
The per capita consumption of fibres in Pakistan is around 10-kilogramme as against the global average of 13kg world over.
Of this 10kg, the textile industry gets a share of only three kilogram per capita while rest of the 7 kilogram per capita share is grabbed by second hand, smuggled and imported textiles and clothing products.
Aptma chief said customs is clearing heavy influx of such textiles and clothing products as low-priced fibre/cotton.
In fact, high value stock lots of fabric for shirting and other garment is being cleared, he added.
The idle textile capacity in Pakistan can be made operational if the government plugs the holes in the duty-free entry of textiles and clothing products. Smuggling and Afghan transit trading are major sources of second hand, smuggled and imported textiles.
A congenial environment, attracting investment and creating new jobs, will trigger textile production, Tanveer said.