Pakistan Overtakes India in Apparel Exports to the US

Pakistan performed better than India in apparel exports to the United States in February 2021.

Besides the United States, Pakistan posted an outstanding performance in the apparel export category to several global destinations during February 2021; a renowned source for textile sector information called ‘Sourcing Journal’ reported.

Speaking on this, the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce; Abdul Razak Dawood, told the media that Pak had been “the only main exporter with increased apparel supply to America during COVID-19”.

Another international textile information platform by Apparel Resources had also Pakistan on the top of the list of countries that export textiles. Historically, both India and Bangladesh have performed better than Pakistan in this segment; but Pakistan has fared far better than its neighbors this year despite the challenges of the pandemic.

The total apparel imports by the US had fallen by 8.7 percent; year-on-year to $5.39 billion in February 2021 but the volume had increased by 3.2 percent. Pakistan was on the top of the list of countries that were responsible for this hike in America’s apparel imports. The other countries that followed Pakistan on the list include China, Bangladesh, and Egypt.

On the other hand, the apparel exports from India, Vietnam. and Indonesia to the US has declined in terms of both value and volume.

Despite this improved performance in the export of textiles; Pakistan’s domestic industry is still facing severe challenges including a decrease in cotton production; which is the main raw material for the textile sector.

The government recently allowed the duty-free import of cotton yarn to make up for the shortage in supply. However, experts believe that maintaining a sustainable supply of cotton will remain a challenge for Pakistan.