Pakistan to implement new textile policy this month with $20 bln export target

A Pakistani shopkeeper hangs fabric at his shop in a market in Lahore on September 16, 2019. (AFP/File)
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Updated 13 November 2020
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Pakistan to implement new textile policy this month with $20 bln export target

  • Textile policy 2020-25 approved by Prime Minister Imran Khan in March but awaiting official announcement
  • Fabrics and apparel have an average share of about 54 percent in Pakistan’s overall exports

KARACHI: Pakistan will launch a long-awaited new textile policy this month to increase fabric and apparel exports from $12.86 billion to $20.86 billion in five years, the commerce minister has said.
The country’s previous five-year textile policies — for 2009-14 and 2014-19 — aimed at increasing fabric and apparel exports to $25 billion and $26 billion respectively, but the targets were never achieved.
The 2020-25 policy was approved by Prime Minister Imran Khan in March this year, but still awaits official announcement.
The policy, according to a draft seen by Arab News, aims to attract domestic and foreign investment into textile and apparel supply chains and develop value-added sectors.
“The policy will be implemented this month,” Abdul Razak Dawood, the prime minister’s adviser for commerce and textile, told Arab News in an interview this week.
The textile minister said his government had already factored in the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in the new policy and was open to taking additional measures after the latest COVID surge and the possibility of a vaccine in the coming months.
“We had envisaged a higher target but the new wave of COVID has arrived and I am worried that things may change but let’s see what this COVID spike is doing”, Dawood said. “There are talks of vaccine coming in and if the vaccine comes in then the situation will change.”

Despite being the world’s fourth largest producer and third largest consumer of cotton, Pakistan’s comparative advantage is diminished by low value-added textile products.
This year’s textile export target has been set at $12.86 billion, with $9.4 billion from value added and $3.3 billion from raw or semi-finished textile products, according to the draft of the 2020-25 policy. In 2025, the government plans to reach $20.86 billion — $16.29 billion from value-added goods.
Textile exporters say they are anxiously waiting for the new policy to be announced to plan their future actions.
“Textile sector is anxiously waiting for the policy. It is already long delayed,” Ijaz Khokhar, chief coordinator of the Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA), told Arab News.
“People are in a kind of panic in the current situation of pandemic ... The policy is urgently needed for future planning,” he said.
Pakistan’s textile sector contributes nearly one-fourth of its industrial value-added products, provides employment to about 40 percent of industrial labor, consumes 40 percent of banking credit to the manufacturing sector and accounts for 8.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
Ministerial and All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) data show that textile products maintain an average share of about 54 percent of the country’s overall exports.
In the previous fiscal year, Pakistan’s textile exports reached $12.5 billion.


Chinese giant Hoymiles enters Pakistani market to provide high-tech energy storage solutions

Updated 05 January 2026
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Chinese giant Hoymiles enters Pakistani market to provide high-tech energy storage solutions

  • The development comes after Pakistan emerges as one of world’s fastest-growing solar markets, importing nearly 50GW of solar panels
  • Hoymiles entry will address long-hour backup and energy storage challenges facing Pakistan’s growing solar sector, local partner says

KARACHI: Renowned Chinese inverter manufacturer Hoymiles has entered Pakistan to provide high-tech, long-duration energy storage solutions for residential, commercial and industrial buildings by utilizing solar systems for electricity consumption, its Pakistani partner said on Monday.

Over the past few years, a large number of Pakistani industrial, commercial and residential electricity consumers have shifted to solar power systems to address frequent power outages and the rising cost of electricity. Reports indicate that net-metering capacity currently stands at 6,000 megawatts (MWs), while off-grid solar capacity has increased to 12,000 MWs in Pakistan by the end of 2025.

Hoymiles has formed strategic partnerships with Superstar, a renowned name in Pakistan’s automotive industry, and Harisun Energy, a new entrant in the energy solutions sector, to explore the Pakistani market, which is witnessing rapid growth in solar power adoption. In this regard, launch events were held simultaneously in Karachi and Lahore, unveiling multiple storage solutions produced by Hoymiles under the brands of Harisun Energy and Superstar.

Speaking as the chief guest at the Hoymiles launching ceremony in Karachi, Ali Rashid, advisor to Sindh chief minister on science and information technology (IT), said the provincial government appreciates foreign investors, particularly Chinese companies, establishing their industries, assembly, and distribution units in Karachi to meet the demand of the local market as well as export solutions to other countries.

“The government is working rigorously to facilitate foreign investors and companies to enhance their business and commercial activities, mainly in the technology and renewable energy sectors, to improve the living standards of the public and boost economic activity within the country and the province of Sindh,” he said.

The Sindh government is currently collaborating with various Chinese companies across different sectors, including logistics and renewable energy, and it welcomes further cooperation between the private and public sectors, according to Rashid.

The provincial government is considering establishing its own regulatory authority and transmission company, aimed at setting up a separate electricity grid system at the provincial level, which could provide affordable electricity to the masses and enhance connectivity to remote areas, preferably through renewable energy resources.

According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), Pakistan has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing solar markets, importing approximately 50 GW of solar panels amid falling prices and widespread adoption across sectors in the first half of the year. This surge has made Pakistan the third-largest market for Chinese solar panels, a growth that has attracted global attention.

Superstar Solar Energy and Harisun Energy are introducing Hoymiles’ innovative range of solar inverters, energy storage solutions, and smart energy management systems to the Pakistani market. These solutions are designed to deliver reliable, efficient, and sustainable energy, empowering individuals and businesses to harness solar power as a clean and green energy source.

“Pakistan’s growing solar sector is facing a major challenge related to long-hour backup and energy storage solutions, which will soon be addressed with the entry of a global leader in energy solutions,” said Haris Jamsheed, CEO of Harisun Energy.

“Our partnership with the Chinese company will provide innovative energy storage solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial solar systems, enabling uninterrupted electricity supply at workplaces, factories, and homes during nighttime hours.”

Solarization has continued to expand across the country on a large scale due to prolonged load-shedding in remote areas and the high cost of electricity, which has become unaffordable for many households and industrial units, particularly in recent years.

“We have vowed to bring an energy revolution to Pakistan through innovative storage solutions, as the industrial and commercial sectors can enhance productivity with low-cost electricity backup systems,” said Saleem Umar, Chairman of Superstar.

“Affordable electricity will reduce operational costs at the domestic level, enabling exporters to compete more effectively in global markets.”