Page 16 - TEXtalks. May-June 2023

16

Integrated Textile and Garment

Park proposed at Karachi

The Ministry of Commerce in a report has proposed to establish an Integrated Textile and Garment Park
(ITGP) in Karachi to facilitate small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The main objective of the project is stated to be to offer infrastructure facilities to SMEs in the textile and
garment sector for setting up their units. The ITGP would also facilitate and train SMEs in meeting
production and social standards of the international business environment, the report said. The total cost of
the project is estimated at Rs1.842 billion, and it would be completed in three years. The ministry is hopeful
that the project will create thousands of jobs in the textile and garment sector.

The Ministry of Commerce in its budgetary proposal demanded Rs377.6 million under the Public Sector
Development Programme (PSDP) for the next fiscal year (2023-24) to start work on the project. The project
will provide ready-made factory space as well as an in-house training center, testing laboratory, conference
and exhibition halls, buyers’ offices, and other facilities according to international standards.

The textile sector comprises 46 percent of the total manufacturing sector. Textile exports of $19.31 billion in
the fiscal year 2021-22 accounted for 60.92 percent of the country’s total exports of $31.76 billion. Textiles
and Apparel Policy 2020-25, has fixed textile exports target for the current fiscal year at $25 billion. AD

Gloom in US textile and apparel market

The US market determines the growth of global textiles as the United States as a country accounts for bulk
of textile and clothing exports of all textile economies. Textile imports in the US are down this year which is
the reason for gloom in supplier countries.

According to official US data textile and apparel imports totaled 7.14 billion square meter equivalents in
March 2023. The imports improved up 23.5 percent when compared with imports in February. However
textile and apparel imports in March ‘23 were 23.8 percent lower than the imports during March ’22. Textile
imports totaled 5.23 billion square meter equivalent (SME), in March this year which were higher by 33.0
percent than imports received in February but were down 15.7 percent from March last year, while apparel
imports of 1.86 billion SMEs rose 2.8 percent from February but fell 40.1 percent from a year before.
Imports of textiles and apparel were 19.7 billion SME for the year to date in March, down 24.3 percent from a
year earlier. Textile imports were 13.9 billion SME, down 21.5 percent, while apparel imports fell 30.1 percent
to 5.83 billion SME. Textile imports lost 0.7 percent to 70.9 billion SMEs while apparel imports fell 8.1 percent
to 28.6 billion SMEs.

May/June 2023