The value-added textile sector requested the government on Friday to enable road imports of cotton and cotton yarn from India and other nations, according to a statement.
Cotton and cotton yarn are the primary raw materials of value-added textile exports, accounting for more than 60% of total national exports, earning the most foreign cash and providing the most jobs.
The import of cotton and cotton yarn must be allowed from India at par with medicines, says Muhammad Jawed Bilwani, chief coordinator and former central chairman of the value-added textile association. Textile exporters are facing the severest-ever shortage of cotton yarn, which is the basic raw material. Cotton yarn prices have been increased by approximately 40% to 70%.
The government must support and facilitate the value-added garment and home textile exporters in the growing crisis of unavailability of vessels and containers on war footing. The sea freights are gone very high and increased approximately 700 per cent and there is also an acute shortage of containers/vessels, which has multiplied the delivery time from 45 days to 90 days. Such export orders meant for Pakistan would be diverted to other regional countries.
The shortest possible land routes to import cotton yarn are from India, Uzbekistan and Turkey. The estimated time for the freight train to travel from Islamabad to Turkey is 10 days. Similarly, the estimated transportation by road from Pakistan to Uzbekistan is approximately 48 hours/2 days.
