Reliable sources revealed that few major Pakistani textile export groups have received these instruction from their foreign buyers and are labeled as a pre-condition to get big export orders from them. “In fact, the exporters are being forced to fill orders from alternative factories located outside Pakistan as a precondition to getting big export orders,” sources added…“Mostly the buyers in United States of America (USA) and European Union (EU) are attaching these conditions because they are discontent with the internal situation of Pakistan that makes the timely shipment of export consignments uncertain,” sources pointed out…The factories located outside Pakistan would carryout the manufacturing of these export orders placed with Pakistan exporters and added that such a practice would be a further disaster for Pakistan’s export-oriented textile industry, which is already sailing on trouble waters due to stiff competition in the international market…Sources said that unabated propaganda against Pakistan in the Western media is causing colossal damage to country and this latest negative development is part of this ongoing anti-Pakistan media drive. So in view of this situation, sources added, major buying houses mostly in USA and EU are drawing the strategies to make sure the export orders coming from Pakistani exporters in time; no matter whether produced in Pakistan or outside it…About the implications of such a development, sources felt the economy would run into deep trouble if the situation does not turns around. Pakistani exporters would received the orders, but the export goods would not be manufactured in Pakistan, which would raise the costs as well as cut the local plants production capacity resulting in jobs cut in the country. ..Pakistan’s textile exports continued falling in the current fiscal year and registered over seven percent decrease in first nine months of current financial year. The high cost of production as well as the market access issue led to drop in textile export, which accounted for around sixty percent of the total exports of the country and employed largest chunk of industrial labour of the country…

Date:5/4/2009

Source:Daily Times