v           The 5th Textile Asia International Exhibition will be held from April 4 to 7, 2008 at the Karachi Expo Centre. The Exhibition is being organized at the most opportune time when the Government is looking forward to modernize and upgrade the textile sector of the country for better quality products and enhanced productivity.

v           Pakistan’s products have needed a proper branding and aggressive marketing endeavors to capture the market, besides textile Pakistan has got plenty of other products. If our products are branded and properly publicized in target market we can be second to none. This was stated by Tanvir Ahmad Sheikh, President FPCCI while delivering his welcome address in a meeting with Andy Merchant, President Canada-Pakistan Business Council who visited FPCCI Head Office.

v           Developers of cotton in Southern Punjab have decided to sow BT and high breed cotton this time. The farmers have started preparing the land for this purpose. The farmers of Multan, Khanewal and Bahawalpur areas have started to purchase the seeds of BT and high breed cotton from international companies and decided to sow it from March 15.

v           The State Bank of Pakistan has decided to refund fines totalling Rs 2.354 million imposed on commercial banks for availing refinancing facilities under the defunct scheme of Long Term Financing for Export-Oriented Projects (LTF-EOP) without valid limits in the first quarter (July-September) of the current fiscal year (2007-08).

v           Pakistan Cotton Fashion Apparel Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PCFAMEA) has demanded of the Government to provide additional funds of Rs 80 million in order to develop the 'garment skill development schools' that were being established with a total cost of Rs 96 million, being facilitated by the Export Development Fund (EDF).

v           Hosiery and knitwear exporters are unable to compete in the global market due to higher utility costs, delays in refunds of sales tax, reduction in duty drawback rates and increased rates of export refinance, according to a letter sent to Planning Commission Deputy Chairman by the Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA) Jawed Bilwani.

v           vHuge outflow of capital from the country has found its way into real estate business in Dubai, where many Pakistani developers have entered into joint ventures with their local counterparts to reap windfall profits, business sources said.

v           Pakistan Readymade Garment Manufacturer and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) former Chairman Ijaz Khokhar has urged upon the Federal Textile Ministry and Punjab Government to take initiatives for developing "Garment Village" in Sialkot because value-added garment sector has great potential in the city.

v           Punjab caretaker Minister for Industries Khawaja Muhammad Jalaluddin Roomi has said that provincial Government had allotted two acres of land for handlooms cluster in industrial estate of Multan to promote the handloom sector because there was a great demand of handloom manufactured cloth in the world market.

v           The Chairman, Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA), Kamran Y Mirza, has urged the business community of Sialkot to set up industrial units in Sialkot Export Processing Zone (SEPZ).

v           Punjab Minister for Agriculture has called for gearing up efforts for development and promotion of insect resistant cotton varieties in Punjab. He said cotton is the mainstay of the country's economy and our textile export constitutes more than 60% of our total exports.        

v           The textile apparel industry has urged the Government to allow import of cotton yarn from India via Wagha border. At present a sizeable quantity of cotton and cotton yarn is imported from the Indian Punjab, but has to be moved to Bombay from where it is shipped to Karachi, which increases freight charges and consumes a lot of time.

v           Shabbir Ahmed, Chairman Pakistan Bedwear Exporters Association (PBEA) said that with the rising interest rates the cost of doing business would further increase. He said globally the countries were lowering rates to induce and energise economic activity but our planners were doing other way round.

v           American Ambassador in Pakistan Anne Patterson will visit the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss with Lahore's business community to boost trade between Pakistan and her country.

v           Hosiery manufacturers-cum-exporters are seeking duty free market access to European and US to salvage the diminishing local industry. A large number of export-oriented units are closing down in the wake of high cost of production and losing EU and American markets for high import duties.

v           President, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Tanvir A. Sheikh has expressed serious concern over the reluctance of Indian cotton exporters to fulfill their commitments with Pakistani buyers. About 1.1 million bales of cotton worth Rs 15 billion were imported from India and the import of another 0.5 million bales is currently in the pipeline.

v           In domestic market, the prices of cotton yarn of 10/s have gone up from Rs 400 per bundle to Rs 420 per bundle and of 20/s from Rs 650 to Rs 680 and 24/s from Rs 710 to Rs 750. Therefore, apparel exporters fear that the country would lose million of rupees in foreign exchange, if the Government encouraged the yarn export. Yarn export earns $2.16 per kg to $2.44 per kg, whereas (the value-added) apparel export earns $6.50 to $15 per kg in the world markets.

v           Total international trade in textiles is currently about $350 billion, out of which Pakistan's share is less than 3%. By the year 2014, this global volume is expected to touch $800 billion.