Pakistan has imposed a regulatory duty on the import of various textile items. The aim is to strengthen the textile industry. A 50 per cent duty has been imposed on apparel and clothing accessories, leather or composition leather. Footwear with outer soles of leather or composition leather and uppers of textile materials will be charged 40 per cent.

Further, there is a 10 per cent tax on woven fabrics of cotton containing 85 per cent or more by weight of cotton, mixed mainly or solely with manmade fibers and other woven fabrics of cotton, eight per cent on woven fabrics of synthetic filament yarn and artificial filament yarn.

Import of cotton yarn (other than sewing thread), woven fabrics of polyesters, artificial staple fibers and synthetic staple fibers are charged at five per cent. A two per cent regulatory duty has been imposed on yarns from synthetic staple fibers, artificial staple fibers and manmade staple fibers.

For Pakistan revival of idle capacity in the textile industry would be a top priority. A level playing field would be provided to the textile industry in order to boost exports. Obstacles to the import of raw materials, both cotton and manmade fiber, would be removed.