Trump's China Tariffs Helping Pakistani Garments Exports to America

Pakistan's garments exports to the United States have jumped 12% in first quarter of 2019 from the same period a year ago, according to USITC Dataweb.  This double digit exports growth is being partly attributed to US President Donald's Trump ongoing trade war with China with the US government imposing 10% to 25% tariffs on certain Chinese goods. Pakistani rupee devaluation has also contributed to the nation's overall competitiveness.

Textile Exports to United States. Source: Bloomberg

American buyers are diversifying their supplier base away from China, the No. 1 exporter of these goods to the U.S. Already, Bangladesh is close to snatching the trousers-to-towel crown, according to Bloomberg News. Pakistan, at No. 6 last year, has grown its own shipments to the U.S. by almost 12% this year. It may overtake India, which has seen virtually no improvement.

Pakistan's Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER). Source:  Bloomberg

Pakistani apparel exports are becoming more competitive in international markets because Pakistani rupee has declined by almost 25% recently. This has wiped out the currency’s overvaluation adjusted for inflation differences with trading partners, as estimated by the IMF.

Textiles industry is just one the export industries seeing exodus of manufactures and buyers from China.  Electronics industry is seeing similar moves. Engadget is reporting that Google is moving production of its US-bound Nest thermostats and motherboards to Taiwan. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Nintendo is shifting at least some production of its Switch console to Southeast Asia.

Last November, Nomura Securities strategists had said they expected Malaysia, Japan and Pakistan  to be the top 3 beneficiaries of import substitution triggered by US-China trade war escalation. Nomura's analysis is based on detailed study of 7,705 items which will be subject to tariffs and counter tariffs by US and China if the stand-off continues. Nomura developed two indices as part of its research on the subject: NISI (Nomura Import Substitution Index) and NPRI (Nomura Production Relocation Index).

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Comments

Amjad said…
In anticipation Chinese businessmen have been setting up shops in Vietnam, Cambodia, Mynamar and other neighboring countries. Despite US pressure on Mexico, Chinese companies have flourished even in Mexico.

Could very well be that Chibese have set up shops in Pak? Many guesses have been floating around but some people say there are 50K+ Chinese nationals working in Pakistan on various projects and in many trades including manufacturing. Supposedly the numbers are going up every month.

Riaz Haq said…
US #Trade with #Pakistan reached record high of $6.6 billion in 2018 , Asst Sec of State Wells tells Congress. Pakistan runs trade surplus of $782 million with the #UnitedStates - Newspaper - http://DAWN.COM

https://www.dawn.com/news/1488126

The Trump administration has informed Congress that trade between the United States and Pakistan reached an all-time high in 2018, as Washington endorsed Islamabad’s budget re-emphasis on a relationship built on trade, not aid.

Alice G. Wells, Senior State Department Official for South and Central Asian Affairs underlined this change in a written statement to the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee for Asia, the Pacific and Nonproliferation. On Thursday, the panel began a hearing on the State Department’s 2020 budget requests for the South and Central Asian regions.

Ms Wells informed the lawmakers that in 2018, US-Pakistan bilateral trade reached an all-time high, exceeding $6.6 billion.

US exports to Pakistan rose 4pc to $2.9bn, also an all-time high, and the trade deficit sunk to 2pct, or $782 million. “Trade in agriculture was a particularly bright spot,” she said. US soybean exports went from $0 in 2014 to $689 million in 2018.

She noted that Pakistan was a market of more than 200 million people, including a growing middle class, and that’s why it “provides ample opportunities for US trade and investment to grow further.”

According to the US Trade Representative’s office in Washington, Pakistan is currently America’s 56th largest trading partner during 2018. US exports totalled $2.9bn while imports from Pakistan totalled $3.7bn. The US goods trade deficit with Pakistan was $783 million in 2018.

The top US export categories in 2018 were: miscellaneous grain, seeds, fruits ($694m), cotton ($615m), iron and steel ($225m), machinery ($211m), and optical and medical instruments ($117m).

US exports of agricultural products to Pakistan totalled $1.5bn in 2018, making the country the 19th largest agricultural export market. Leading domestic export categories include: soybeans ($689m), cotton ($615m), tree nuts ($49m), dairy products ($38m), and planting seeds ($37m).

Pakistan was America’s 58th largest supplier of goods imports in 2018.

US total imports of agricultural products from Pakistan totalled $126m in 2018. Leading categories include: rice ($31m), sugars, sweeteners, beverage bases ($30m), spices ($19m), processed fruit & vegetables ($9m), and snack foods ($7m).

The top import categories in 2018 were: miscellaneous textile articles ($1.3bn), knit apparel ($809m), woven apparel ($586m), leather products ($121m), and cotton ($112m). US foreign direct investment (FDI) in Pakistan (stock) was $518m in 2017, a 25.7pc increase from 2016.
Riaz Haq said…
A Study Commissioned by the Pakistan Business Council

https://www.pbc.org.pk/research/pakistans-readymade-garments-sector-challenges-and-opportunities/


The Pakistan Business Council (PBC) has commissioned CDPR to do this Study as part of its Make-in-Pakistan initiative. The Make-in-Pakistan initiative of the PBC aims to reverse the premature deindustrialisation of Pakistan, this initiative aims to promote jobs, exports of value-added products, import substitution and increase revenues for the government.

The textile is the most important sector of Pakistan’s economy. In 2017, it contributed almost 8.5% to the country’s GDP, accounted for one-fourth of industrial value-added and employed 40.0% of the industrial labour force. Amongst textile products, garments have the highest-value addition and is also the main export revenue earner. In 2017, Pakistan exported almost $5.0 billion worth of garments to the world: $2.52 billion (knitwear) and $2.47 billion (woven).

Although garment sector exports have increased over the years and it has been the best performing segment of the textile value chain, the sector is grossly underperforming relative to its potential. Pakistan lags behind its competitors in the global share in export of garments. In 2017, Pakistan’s share in the exports of garments was a meagre 1.10% compared to China’s 32.06%, Bangladesh’s 7.66%, Vietnam’s 5.94%, and India’s 3.81%.

The primary reason for this poor performance is the narrow export base, even this narrow base is biased towards low value-added unsophisticated items. The top 6 products exported by Pakistan account for 52.0% of Pakistan’s exports, but only 20.0% of total world garment exports. World demand has been shifting to man-made fibre, which Pakistan has been unable to exploit. In addition, Pakistan’s garment exports are not well diversified in terms of destinations. Almost 88.0% of garment exports are destined for the EU and the US.

Pakistan’s underperformance in exports can be attributed to a number of factors, divided into supply side, demand side and investment climate constraints.

Pakistan faces higher production costs and lower productivity compared to its peers. High production costs are in the form of import duty on cotton & MMF, high energy tariffs and minimum wage (Supply-Constraint). This has led to fierce competition with other low-wage competitors leading to small export orders for Pakistan (Demand-Constraint). Pakistan faces unfavourable tariffs in garment exports in the international market such as ASEAN, which restricts market access, and its currency in the recent past was overvalued with respect to the dollar, making exports less competitive against China, India, Bangladesh and Vietnam (Investment Climate Constraint). Other impediments include poor access to credit, delay in the payment of government-announced tax refunds, low technological adoption, and time-consuming export procedures.
Riaz Haq said…
Risk looms in Southeast Asian economies amid industrial transfer from trade war

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1154194.shtml

Due to China's dwindling demographic dividend, rising production costs, and environmental protection pressure, many Chinese and foreign-invested companies in recent years have relocated their Chinese factories to Southeast Asia, where labor costs are lower. The intensified US-China trade frictions and deteriorating global trade environment have driven even more companies to move to Southeast Asian countries. However, the business environment in Southeast Asia is not as good as imagined, and industrial transfer doesn't mean that China has lost its competitiveness in the world manufacturing sector.

For instance, media reports indicate that the Cambodian garment manufacturing industry has seen a wave of shutdowns recently, for a number of reasons. First among them is an increase in labor costs. The minimum wage of Cambodian workers has jumped from $40 per month in 1997 to $182 per month this year. If various benefits and subsidies are included, the cost is up to $210 per month. By comparison, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Laos all offer even lower labor costs for the garment industry. Another reason is Cambodia's incomplete supply chain. At present, the country's infrastructure and support facilities for industrial manufacturing are relatively weak, leading to relatively high overall costs. A third reason is low efficiency. According to some industry analysts, the productivity of Vietnam and Indonesian factories is about 80 percent of Chinese factories, while the productivity of Cambodian garment factories is only about 60 percent of China's. Additionally, workers' strikes and protests have increased difficulties for business operations, and there is uncertainty as to whether Cambodia's export price advantage will persist in the future. It is possible some garment companies will move out of Cambodia amid concerns over the possible suspension of EU trade preferences for the country.

Compared with Cambodia, countries like Vietnam and Malaysia may benefit more from the US-China trade war due to manufacturing transfer. According to a recent Nomura research report, the import substitution effect has been seen in 52 percent of tariffed goods during the US-China tariff war. Vietnam is regarded as the biggest beneficiary and could see a 7.9 percent increase in its GDP. This has prompted many to start planning investment in Southeast Asia so as to avoid risk from the trade war. Yet, these small Southeast Asian economies, represented by Vietnam, are currently facing both opportunities and challenges, which may lead to greater risks if not handled properly.

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In addition, while a large number of companies left China due to costs, it doesn't mean China has completely lost its industrial advantages. China is undergoing economic restructuring, and its comprehensive industrial competitiveness and market space are incomparable to those Southeast Asian countries once it gets through the difficult stage. It should also be pointed out that in a world of excess production, the manufacturing capacity formed as a result of industrial transfer from China to Southeast Asian countries will make global overcapacity even more serious, which may trigger a new global economic crisis. These small economies will be hit harder once such a crisis breaks out.
Riaz Haq said…
Chinese Companies To Relocate Factories To Pakistan Under CPEC Project

https://eurasiantimes.com/chinese-companies-to-relocate-factories-to-pakistan-under-cpec-project/

Several Chinese organisations have shown enthusiasm to relocate their industrial units to Pakistan in the second phase of industrialisation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) according to media reports.


Chinese manufacturing units of textile and leather would be relocated to Faisalabad. Chinese company Long March International would also set up a tyre manufacturing plant in Pakistan, revealed advisor to PM Imran Khan – AR Dawood while addressing a press conference, along with Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing, on Friday.

“We have not given attention and the Chinese industry has been relocated to the Far East, Ethiopia and Egypt. We should grab the opportunity this time around,” the PM adviser emphasised.

He said the government would prefer the Chinese companies forming joint ventures with Pakistani companies. Earlier, they were focused on imports. “Shifting and trading ‘Make in Pakistan’ products is our priority to increase exports,” he said.

“If Chinese companies do not enter into joint ventures with Pakistani companies, we will allow them 100% ownership,” he said, adding the relocation of Chinese industrial units would create job opportunities and enhance skills of local people.

Pakistan is eagerly awaiting the benefits of relocating the Chinese industry to Pakistan in the second phase of industrialisation under CPEC, which will help increase exports.

China has also expressed its willingness to relocate its industrial units to Pakistan. It wants Pakistan to make policies more attractive for investors in order to address the challenges of the next phase of industrialisation.

Speaking on the occasion, Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing said if policies were good and attractive, challenges would be less. Pakistan had streamlined its visa policy but the process of obtaining the visa was too long.

Chinese giant Li Fung, having a value of $60 billion and operating in 50 countries, produces goods on behalf of suppliers. It is currently placing an order with Pakistan worth $100 million and plans to enhance it to $1 billion later this year.

Riaz Haq said…
#Vegetable #exports from #Pakistan increase 12.19% year over year. Vegetable products exports from the country during July-April (2018-19) were recorded at $2.75 billion against the export of $2.45 billion during July-April (2017-18). #economy https://www.freshplaza.com/article/9119774/vegetable-exports-from-pakistan-increase-12-19-percent/#.XRIf4igRvz4.twitter

Vegetable products export from Pakistan grew by 12.19 percent during the first 10 months of the current fiscal year compared to the corresponding period of last year, according to a statement by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

The vegetable products exports from the country during July-April (2018-19) were recorded at $2748.773 million against the export of $2450.073 million during July-April (2017-18), showing increase of 12.19 percent, according to the State Bank of Pakistan.

The commodities that contributed positively included edible vegetables, export of which grew from $123.590 million last year to $189.994 million during the current fiscal year, showing growth of 53.72 percent.

Exports of oil seeds and oleaginous fruits increased by 42.10 percent, from $67.709 million to $96.216milion. The exports of edible fruits and nuts increased by 12.11 percent, from $330.228 million last year to $370.230 million, the data revealed.

Meanwhile, The country’s merchandize trade deficit plunged by 13.62 per cent during the first eleven months of the current fiscal year compared to the corresponding period of last year, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported.

According to nation.com.pk¸ the trade deficit contracted by 13.62 per cent to $29.207 billion du
Riaz Haq said…
#Chinese businesses pledges US$ 5 billion #investment in #Pakistan in next 5 years in sectors including #construction, #machinery, glass, #automobile, electrical, $power, #transportation, information #technology and #telecom among others. #CPEC #China https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/chinese-businesses-pledges-usd-5-bn-investment-in-pakistan-in-next-five-years-119071201256_1.html#.XSkTS6IVh9Y.twitter

Over 55 executives and CEOs of leading Chinese companies on Friday called on Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and pledged to invest USD 5 billion in the cash-strapped nation over the next five years, according to an official statement.

The visiting Chinese business delegation represented various sectors including construction, machinery, glass, automobile, electrical, power, transportation, information technology and technological research among others.


"Chinese business executives expressed confidence in the business friendly policies of the government and committed to invest USD 5 billion over a period of five years in various small and medium size industrial sectors," the statement said.

Pakistan has so far received billions in financial aid packages from friendly countries like Saudi Arabia, China and the UAE during the current fiscal year.

During the meeting, Khan welcomed the Chinese delegation and stated that China has always been a trusted partner of Pakistan.

The sagacity, wisdom and vision of the Chinese leadership for peace & development, good governance and poverty alleviation is highly impressive and worth emulating, said Khan.

He added that the interest of Chinese companies towards investment and relocating business and industrial units to Pakistan reflected the trust of the Chinese side in the growing economy of Pakistan.

He said the Chinese side have a strong desire to translate Pak-China equation into a win-win economic partnership.

Our Government is facilitating investors and reducing impediments in ease of doing business'. Partnership with Chinese companies and their investment will reap multiple benefits for both the countries including employment generation, transfer of technology and economic growth," he said.

Talking about China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Khan reiterated that ambitious project will prove to be a game-changer with respect to enhancing trade activities and further cementing Pak-China relations.

The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

"Fast-track implementation of the CPEC projects is our priority for which a special unit is overseeing implementation of various projects in Planning Division," he said.

China's Ambassador Yao Jing said that Chinese investors have observed fundamental improvement of policies and facilitation of foreign investors in Pakistan.

"Chinese government will extend all possible support towards realising the vision of a strong, stable and prosperous Naya Pakistan, Yao said.
Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan #exports to #Europe up 54% Since Grant of GSP+ Trade Preference For Pakistani Products https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2019/07/14/pakistan-exports-to-europe-up-54-per-cent

European Union Ambassador to Pakistan Jean-François Cautain has stated that Pakistan’s export to Europe has increased fifty four per cent after grant of GSP Plus status to the country.

Talking to representatives of Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors at National Press Club in Islamabad, he said GSP plus is a great opportunity for Pakistan to enhance its export especially in the areas of textile, surgical equipment, leather and sports goods.

He said the EU is focusing on improvement of education, vocational training, women development and governance in Pakistan. The Ambassador said EU’s new engagement plan for Pakistan is moving ahead to the strategic and security level. He said this plan will further improve military to military relations between EU and Pakistan.

He said the EU will review implementation of twenty seven conventions of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which is a requirement for GSP plus status. Later, he also planted a sapling in the lawn of National Press Club.

Meanwhile, Chairman Board of Investment, (BOI) Zubair Gilani said that Pakistan is deeply fascinated by China’s example of industrialisation and economic wisdom.

The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative and industrial cooperation between the two nations is the first step in transforming the lives of people of the two countries, he expressed these remarks while briefing a 50-member Chinese Investment Delegation here at BoI on Thursday.
Riaz Haq said…
WASHINGTON: The United States and Pakistan can further enhance bilateral trade if strategic ties between the two countries continue to improve, said a White House factsheet released on Tuesday.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1497206

The factsheet “Working toward Peace and Stability: Building Economic Prosperity” notes that the United States and Pakistan enjoy a strong economic partnership that benefits both countries.

The official document points out that Pakistan and the US traded $6.6 billion worth of goods last year, setting a new record of bilateral trade.

While the document recognises Pakistan’s role in the Afghan peace process, US officials recently also urged Islamabad to encourage transit trade between India and Afghanistan, noting that it would benefit all by enhancing trade between South and Central Asian regions.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD
President Donald Trump also expressed his desire to increase trade with Pakistan when asked at his July 22 news briefing what his administration was willing to do to help boost the Pakistani economy.

“Yes, I see great trade with Pakistan. And I’m not talking about a little bit more. I’m talking about — we could go 10 and even 20 times what we’re doing right now,” he said.

“You know, Pakistan is a big country. It’s actually a very big country, and they have tremendous product. They make great product,” he added.

“I’ve bought from Pakistan over the years when I was in the private sector. They make incredible product. They’re brilliant people. They’re hard-working people.”

He said that he believed the US and Pakistan could “have a fantastic trade relationship. I don’t mean we’ll increase it by 20 per cent. I mean, I think we can quadruple it. I think it could go — I mean, literally, it sounds crazy — you could go 10 times more. You could go 20 times more.”

He said he believed in multiplying trade with Pakistan because he felt “what we do right now is not much, and we should do a lot.”

Trump’s statement and the White House factsheet endorse Islamabad’s claim that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s US visit was a success, although it also highlights the key issues that need to be resolved to further enhance this relationship.

The document notes that Pakistan also purchased extensive amounts of American liquefied natural gas during the same period, about 22.8 billion cubic feet.

ExxonMobil re-established its presence in Pakistan in 2018 after 27 years and is working to increase LNG imports.

It lays greater emphasis on economic relations than did recent statements by US officials, who focused more on Pakistan’s cooperation in restoring peace to Afghanistan.

American energy producers are seeing more and more business opportunities with Pakistan and American companies are incorporating cutting-edge technologies into energy projects throughout Pakistan, the document adds.

Riaz Haq said…
U.S.-Pakistan Trade Facts

https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/south-central-asia/pakistan

In 2018, Pakistan GDP was an estimated $312.6 billion (current market exchange rates); real GDP was up by an estimated 5.2%; and the population was 201 million. (Source: IMF)

Pakistan is currently our 56th largest goods trading partner with $6.6 billion in total (two way) goods trade during 2018. Goods exports totaled $2.9 billion; goods imports totaled $3.7 billion. The U.S. goods trade deficit with Pakistan was $783 million in 2018.

According to the Department of Commerce, U.S. exports of goods to Pakistan supported an estimated 10 thousand jobs in 2015 (latest data available).

Exports

Pakistan was the United States' 55th largest goods export market in 2018.

U.S. goods exports to Pakistan in 2018 were $2.9 billion, up 4.3% ($121 million) from 2017 and up 54.3% from 2008.

The top export categories (2-digit HS) in 2018 were: miscellaneous grain, seeds, fruit (oybeans) ($694 million), cotton ($615 million), iron and steel ($225 million), machinery ($211 million), and optical and medical instruments ($117 million).

U.S. total exports of agricultural products to Pakistan totaled $1.5 billion in 2018, our 19th largest agricultural export market. Leading domestic export categories include: soybeans ($689 million), cotton ($615 million), tree nuts ($49 million), dairy products ($38 million), and planting seeds ($37 million).
Imports

Pakistan was the United States' 58th largest supplier of goods imports in 2018.

U.S. goods imports from Pakistan totaled $3.7 billion in 2018, up 3.9% ($138 million) from 2017, and up 3.4% from 2008.

The top import categories (2-digit HS) in 2018 were: miscellaneous textile articles ($1.3 billion), knit apparel ($809 million), woven apparel ($586 million), leather products ($121 million), and cotton ($112 million).

U.S. total imports of agricultural products from Pakistan totaled $126 million in 2018. Leading categories include: rice ($31 million), sugars, sweeteners, bev bases ($30 million), spices ($19 million), processed fruit & vegetables ($9 million), and snack foods ($7 million).
Trade Balance

The U.S. goods trade deficit with Pakistan was $783 million in 2018, a 2.2% increase ($17 million) over 2017.
Investment

U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) in Pakistan (stock) was $518 million in 2017, a 25.7% increase from 2016. There is no information on the distribution of U.S. FDI in Pakistan.

Pakistan's FDI in the United States (stock) was $224 million in 2017. There is no information on the distribution of Pakistan FDI in the U.S.
NOTE: No services trade data with Pakistan are available.NOTE: No services trade data with Pakistan are available.
Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan #garment makers chase rivals in #India and #Bangladesh. Pakistan has been hailed as an "attractive sourcing base" by industry executives including Spencer Fung, CEO of Hong Kong-based supply chain giant Li & Fung https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-trends/Pakistan-garment-makers-chase-rivals-in-India-and-Bangladesh


The global shift to online retailing is further intensifying cost competition, a trend that could benefit Pakistan.

Leading the shift is Amazon, which offers cheaper apparel that can be customized to individual shoppers' tastes and delivered quickly.

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Pakistan garment companies are fighting hard to break into the supply chains of some of the world's biggest fashion brands as the country races to catch up with Bangladesh and other Asian apparel heavyweights.

The battle is fierce, however, as customers like Zara and H&M demand high quality and low costs from their suppliers, all on increasingly tight time tables.

Kay & Emms, a garment maker based in Faisalabad, says it is benefiting from clients' desire to diversify.

"We are getting more benefit because the customers are thinking that they are not 100% safe while putting all of their eggs in one basket that is either China or Bangladesh," Faisal Waheed, sales and marketing general manager at Kay & Emms.

Compared to the traditional leaders in garment production -- China, Vietnam and Bangladesh -- Pakistan is still a minor player, and the pressure on companies to reduce costs is intense.

"There is always a war-footing situation," Waheed said. "Every customer is cost-conscious, because they know they have the buying power around the globe. They have a lot of suppliers in their basket -- Cambodia, India, Bangladesh, China and Pakistan. If you don't act on war footing, you will be losing business."

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Pakistan has been hailed as an "attractive sourcing base" by industry executives including Spencer Fung, CEO of Hong Kong-based supply chain giant Li & Fung, as garment production for Western brands continue to shift to lower cost countries.

Kay & Emms is still small by global standards, with an annual turnover of just $50 million and 2,300 employees, but it is growing at an annual rate of 60%. About a fifth of its sales comes from Zara, a brand belonging to Spain's Inditex. Kay & Emms has been supplying jogging pants, hoodies, crew neck shirts, pullovers and zipper jackets for Zara since 2014, but it was a hard-earned success, according to Waheed.

"After an effort of more than four, five months, we got the first order," Waheed said. "It was quite hard to get into their business."

Zara is a demanding customer, Waheed. "It is cost-conscious, quality-conscious and time-conscious." But his company was after the prestige of doing business with the world's biggest apparel company. Zara releases new items every three to four weeks, rather than on a four-season cycle. "It compels us to develop new fabrics and garments," Waheed said. "That's harder, but more exciting."

Pakistan's cost-competitive garment makers are drawing attention from multinational brands, even though the country's growth lags behind more dynamic markets such as India or Bangladesh. Pakistan is still recovering from the U.S. war on terror, which has stirred Islamic insurgency and has left tens of thousands dead near the border with Afghanistan.
Riaz Haq said…
Pakistan fast gaining access to markets of developed nations
By Salman SiddiquiPublished: August 24, 2019

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2040817/2-pakistan-fast-gaining-access-markets-developed-nations/

Pakistan is fast strengthening trade ties and getting access to markets of several developed countries around the globe in an attempt to increase exports, which is a must to do away with the pressure on the rupee, build foreign currency reserves and steer the country out of the financial crisis.

“We have got increased market access to China, Europa, Indonesia…and a small market access in Qatar,” said Adviser to Prime Minister for Commerce, Investment, Industries, Production and Textile Abdul Razak Dawood during a visit to a Dawlance factory on Friday.

“Now I am going to the United States to get more market access there,” he said, adding that there were four other countries with whom Islamabad was negotiating to get more market access, which included Canada, Japan, South Korea and Australia.
“All of us in Pakistan must understand that without (revival of) exports this country is not going anywhere,” he remarked while emphasising that exports were increasing at a fast pace.

“Are the country’s exports increasing fast,” he asked and said in the same breath “the answer is yes.”

He said exports increased 14% in July 2019 compared to July 2018. “That is good, but still not good enough. We have to do a lot more. Data for August is keenly awaited to see whether the trend is sustained,” he said.

Pakistan’s exports remained almost static at $24.22 billion in FY19 compared to $24.76 billion in FY18, according to the central bank.

Dawood said exports, which started improving at the outset of second year of his government, would help ease pressure on the rupee and build foreign currency reserves of the country.

The current account deficit dropped significantly to $13.5 billion in FY19 compared to a record high of around $20 billion in FY18. “The deficit will be further restricted in the range of $5-7 billion in the current fiscal year,” he said.

He, however, regretted too much reliance on textile exports and urged other sectors of the economy to play their role in diversifying exports. “We have to now move towards export of engineering goods, chemicals, IT products, processed food and others,” he said.

The PM aide was happy to note that engineering firms like Millat Tractors and Dawlance had started exporting their products to African and European countries respectively.

He asked the large-scale manufacturing (LSM) sector to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) to enter the manufacturing sector.

“We actually had a de-industrialisation situation. That is over. We are now back on the track of industrialisation,” he said, adding that the new industrialisation phase would help build the brand of ‘Make in Pakistan’ for exports and import substitution.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan holds weekly meetings to stay updated on the issues and problems faced by the industrial sector and how to resolve them,” he said.

Dawood said the government was trying to correct the duty structure. “I am not satisfied (with the current duty structure). There is a lot to be done. We have to correct the duty structure to facilitate the ease of doing business.”

He invited budget proposals from the industries to resolve their outstanding issues and added that such challenges may be overcome much earlier than the next budget presentation.

“What do you want in the next budget or before the budget (for industries),” he asked.

The adviser said the Chinese were relocating their industries to Pakistan, which would help build the export sector and promote import substitution. A large Chinese delegation of 65 parties is due in October. They are believed to make a huge participation in the new industrialisation phase in Pakistan.

He said fundamentals of textile exports had also changed to positive. Exports of value-added textile goods like garments and knitwear increased notably in July while exports of raw material – yarn – dropped 18%.
Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan exported $1,156 million worth of readymade #garments (#RMG) in five months, showing an increase of 36% in quantity and 13.19% in value. #exports
https://www.brecorder.com/2019/12/21/555315/pakistan-exports-increase-by-4-8pc-in-five-months-finance-advisor/

Pakistan exports increase by 4.8pc in five months: Finance advisor
By Ali Ahmed on December 21, 2019
Sheikh said that from July-Nov 2019, exports increased by 4.8pc as compared to same period last year.
Value added exports like readymade garments, knitwear and other major exports are showing strong pick up in both quantity & value, he said.

Adviser to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Finance and Revenue Abdul Hafeez Sheikh said that strong export growth is essential for the industrial expansion and job creation in an economy, as Pakistan posted 4.8pc export growth.

In a tweet, the advisor said that in five months (July-Nov 2019) exports increased by 4.8 percent as compared to same period last year. “Value added exports like readymade garments, knitwear & other major exports are showing strong pick up in both quantity & value," he said.

As per the data of Major Exports of Pakistan in 2019-20 (July-November) shared by Hafeez, knitwear items worth $1,320 million were exported in the five months, showing a quantity increase of 6 percent and value increase of 8.69pc.

Whereas, Pakistan exported $1,156mn worth of readymade garments in five months, showing an increase of 36pc in quantity and 13.19pc in value. Meanwhile bedwear was third on the list with $1.013bn worth of exports, an increase of 14.37pc in quantity and 4.69pc in value.
Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan #COVID19 #Lockdown Idles Factories. “It’s a pity as February 2020 garment exports increased by over 20%, an all-time record..... March to June it...could be slashed by at least 60-70%..” #textile #garments #exports #economy https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/sourcing/pakistan-coronavirus-lockdown-garment-factories-closed-synergies-worldwide-levis-202444/ via @SourcingJournal

There’s a new kind of supply chain disruption in 2020—and it’s the kind that could leave destitution in its wake.

In the past week, key sourcing countries, including India and Bangladesh have put country-wide lockdowns or stay-at-home orders in place, and Pakistan has done the same.

Monday marked the beginning of a two-week lockdown that has all factories in the country, as well as other business producing or selling non-essentials, closed completely. Only medical, food and pharmaceutical facilities are still in operation, in addition to some gas stations and banks that remain open.

While the World Health Organization (WHO) has Pakistan’s confirmed cases at 991, with 104 new COVID-19 virus infections reported in the past 24 hours, local sources say the number of infected persons is closer to 1,100. And the country is trying to stanch the spread.

“All over Pakistan it’s a complete lockdown in all the provinces everywhere,” Hafiz Mustanser Ahmed, managing director of Lahore-based factory U.S. Apparel & Textiles, told Sourcing Journal Thursday. “The transportation when it comes to taking the employees to the factories or the public transportation, it’s all 100 percent closed. All the factories are closed.”

For now, moving goods back and forth between the ports and Lahore, Pakistan’s second-biggest textile manufacturing hub after Karachi, is still allowed, but there simply aren’t many goods to move, said Ahmed, whose factory produces denim bottoms for Levi’s, Target, H&M, J.Crew, Primark and Costco, to name a few.


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“It will happen. Nobody can stop this,” Ahmed said. “In this part of the world, where Pakistan is operating, where Bangladesh is operating, the governments are not rich at all so they don’t have that much sufficient funds available with them. They won’t be able to pay for the salaries for them… For the workers who are on the piece rate, it’s going to happen because there are no pieces to produce, and the workers on the daily rate, it’s going to happen, and the workers who are on the salaries, it’s going to happen there as well.”

In the coming days, the government is expected to announce details of support package for workers, which could include food rations and subsidies for utilities. Factories, however, may not see funds to help facilitate their operations, though Schlossman said some duty refunds are being paid back to factories to partially ease the financial impact.

For now, retailers who are still willing to accept goods they had ordered, the government in Pakistan is making concessions to certain factories to deliver them.

“If you have a product that is almost ready for dispatch and if my customer is accepting the product, [the government] is allowing us to partially operate the factory to deliver those goods,” Ahmed said, noting, however, that the allowance is granted by application and under strict rules for the temporary operating period. Workers cannot stand too close to one another, buses shuttling them from home to work can only transport a limited number of passengers, the factory must have thermometers on hand to take workers’ temperatures, and immediately on dispatching the goods, the closure goes back into effect.
Riaz Haq said…

‘Exports to increase up to $28 bn by end of current fiscal’, says Razzak Dawood. “Though we need to do a lot on various conventions, but the progress on many issues mentioned in the detailed report will help continue the GSP Plus facility for Pakistan.” https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/728019-exports-to-increase-up-to-28-bn-by-end-of-current-fiscal


Razzak Dawood Tweet:I happy to share the good news that more and more brands are shifting to Pakistan. We just heard that Hanes, Guess, Hugo Boss & Target have shifted orders from China to Pakistan.

https://twitter.com/razak_dawood/status/1321838253788532736?s=20

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