Textile exporters are not impressed with the commerce ministry’s offer to use the offices of Pakistan’s trade officers posted in embassies to help dissuade foreign buyers from cancelling their orders. The offer was made by Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera, Commerce Secretary. In response to that, trade officers from Pakistani missions in New York and The Hague tweeted their phone numbers and email addresses, inviting exporters to get in touch.
According to some associations of textile exporters, close to $1.3 billion worth of orders from foreign buyers have either been cancelled or postponed. They argue that governments of their competitor countries have issued appeals to these foreign buyers from the highest levels, such as the prime minister and feel that trade officers in the embassies wield little to no clout to be able to change the minds of giant corporations.
Ijaz A Khokhar, Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) Chief Coordinator stated that the message needs to be sent from the highest level, perhaps even the prime minister. He said in India and Bangladesh appeals have been made to world buyers for not cancelling or deferring orders because it will affect the workers and would send more people below the poverty line.
Khurrum Mukhtar, Patron-in-Chief of Pakistan Textile Exporters Association told that there is no harm in making efforts in this regard.
