Textile exports surge by 32% to $1.68 billion in July 2025

Pakistan’s textile and clothing exports saw a strong 32% increase in July 2025, reaching $1.68 billion, up from $1.27 billion in the same month last year, according to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). 

The surge is attributed to higher demand from North America, coupled with the imposition of higher tariffs on competitors.

The textile sector has been recovering steadily, with June 2025 showing a 7.59% year-on-year growth after two months of negative growth in April and May. Overall, Pakistan’s textile exports grew by 7.39% in fiscal year 2025, totalling $17.887 billion, compared to $16.655 billion in FY24.

Despite the sector’s $25 billion installed capacity, industry players note stagnation due to structural issues over the past two years. Exporters continue to press for the early release of pending refunds and rebates, which have been delayed for several months.

PBS data reveals that July 2025 saw significant growth in key textile categories. Readymade garment exports increased by 35.47% in value and 36.90% in quantity, while knitwear grew by 43.50% in value and 51.06% in quantity. Bedwear exports rose by 38.29% in value and 40.43% in quantity. 

However, cotton cloth exports saw modest growth of just 1.19% in value and 5.56% in quantity. Yarn exports experienced a slight increase of 0.57%.

Exports of made-up articles, excluding towels, surged by 45.38%, while towel exports increased by 33.93% in value and 32.85% in quantity. However, exports of tents, canvas, and tarpaulin fell by 37.64%. Notably, no raw cotton was exported in July 2025.

Imports in the textile sector also saw significant changes. Synthetic fibre imports rose by 30.63%, while synthetic and artificial silk yarn imports grew by 37.43%. Textile machinery imports surged by 115.42%. However, raw cotton imports declined by 4.13%, and second-hand clothing imports increased.

In the broader export sector, total exports grew by 16.42%, reaching $2.68 billion in July 2025, compared to $2.31 billion in the same month last year.