Pakistan’s textile exports are expected to fall in the fiscal year 2022 to 2023.

Customers are now asking Pakistan’s suppliers whether or not they will be able to meet deadlines and ship orders on time. Many exporters are also reluctant to book new orders as Pakistan is short of dollars and basic raw material including cotton, dyes and chemicals. Almost everything has to be imported, starting from cotton to buttons and zips in order to manufacture one single product.

Pakistan does not have a proper industrial infrastructure and it lacks a complete backup supply chain. The production of cotton crop, which is the key raw material for textile products, has dropped by 45 per cent this year. The industry needs 15 million bales of cotton. Pakistan has only produced 4.5 million bales this year. To bridge the shortfall, the textile industry has ordered cotton from the US.

Some 25 million people are associated with the sector. The country is losing market share to Bangladesh and Vietnam. In this crisis, there are indications that some global shipping companies are considering boycotting Pakistan as thousands of containers are still stuck at ports. If this happens, Pakistan’s exports will receive a blow as the country does not have any land route to connect with the world.