Pakistan’s textile exports saw a significant decline of $272.6 million in February, falling to $1.41 billion from $1.68 billion in January, primarily due to high production costs driven by expensive electricity.
According to data from the Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA), various categories of textile exports experienced notable drops. The largest decrease was in knitwear exports, which fell by $102.7 million. Ready-made garment exports dropped by $67.8 million, while bedwear exports decreased by $39 million. Cotton cloth and towel exports also saw reductions of $16.3 million and $4.6 million, respectively.
Exporters have expressed concern that the rising electricity costs are hindering their ability to secure international orders, which is negatively impacting the country’s overall trade performance. They have called for affordable electricity and raw materials, suggesting that with these improvements, Pakistan’s textile exports could surpass $30 billion annually.
