ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s textile exports showed a notable increase of 10.44% in the first four months (July-October) of fiscal year 2024-25, reaching $6.146 billion compared to $5.565 billion during the same period last year, according to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
Overall, the country’s total exports for the 4MFY25 period amounted to $10.889 billion (provisional), marking a 13.55% rise from $9.590 billion in the corresponding months of the previous year. Exports in October 2024 reached $2.984 billion, reflecting a 5.22% increase from $2.836 billion in September 2024, and a 10.97% rise compared to $2.689 billion in October 2023.
The textile sector continued to lead the export growth, with textile group exports increasing by 13.11% in October 2024, totaling $1.625 billion compared to $1.437 billion in October 2023. On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, textile exports saw a slight 1.30% rise from $1.604 billion in September 2024.
However, cotton yarn exports experienced significant challenges, recording a 45.59% decline in the first four months of FY25, falling to $221.76 million from $240.76 million in the same period last year. Cotton yarn exports did see a 13.83% MoM growth in October, reaching $59.18 million compared to $51.99 million in September 2024. Nonetheless, the year-on-year (YoY) decline remained steep, with a 35.79% drop compared to $92.16 million in October 2023.
Meanwhile, rice exports soared by 52.53% in the first four months of FY25, totaling $1.084 billion, up from $710.79 million during the same period last year. October 2024 saw rice exports jump by 40.88% MoM to $362.33 million, up from $257.2 million in September 2024, and 19.03% YoY from $304.4 million in October 2023.
Key export commodities for October 2024 included knitwear (Rs. 136.36 billion), readymade garments (Rs. 100.55 billion), rice (Rs. 81.54 billion), and bedwear (Rs. 76.28 billion). Despite challenges in cotton yarn, the textile sector’s overall performance has been strong, driven by growth in garments, rice, and other value-added products.
This growth trend highlights the resilience of Pakistan’s textile sector, despite challenges in raw material exports like cotton yarn, and underscores the country’s competitive edge in garments and agricultural exports.
