Asia-Pacific Should Act As One Textile Market: FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh.

Atif Ikram Sheikh, President FPCCI & ECO-CCI and Vice President CACCI, has called for a joint Asia-Pacific strategy to strengthen the region’s textile industry, enhance competitiveness and expand its share in global markets.

He made these remarks while presenting Pakistan’s perspective on regional textile integration at a CACCI webinar on “Textile Industry in Asia Pacific Region: Opportunities, Challenges and Way Forward,” organized under the Asia Textile and Garment Council, chaired by FPCCI.

Addressing the Director General CACCI and representatives of 28 CACCI member chambers, Sheikh thanked the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry for co-organizing the webinar and appreciated CACCI’s role as an important regional platform for promoting business cooperation and economic development.

Global Textile Outlook and Market Dynamics

Highlighting the broader international outlook, Sheikh noted that the global textile market is projected to expand from US$2.12 trillion in 2025 to US$4.27 trillion by 2035.

• Regional Dominance: The Asia-Pacific region accounts for roughly 53% of the global market, with its valuation projected to grow from US$1.14 trillion to US$2.33 trillion over the same period.
• Economic Footprint: The sector employs approximately 100 million people (rising to 430 million across the wider fashion and apparel value chain) and contributes around 2% to global GDP, with China alone driving about 32% of global textile exports.

Pakistan’s Strategic Strengths in Textiles

Detailing Pakistan’s foundational role in the regional supply chain, Sheikh stated that the sector remains the backbone of the national economy:

• Export Contribution: Generates around 60% of national exports, totaling US$17.88 billion.
• Industrial Value & Employment: Accounts for 24.2% of industrial value addition and 40% of industrial employment.
• Global Ranking: Ranks as the 8th-largest textile exporter in Asia, 3rd-largest yarn producer, 5th-largest cotton producer, and 4th-largest cotton consumer.

He highlighted Pakistan’s fully integrated value chain—from raw cotton production to finished apparel—alongside supportive policy frameworks including duty-free machinery imports, lower raw material tariffs, EU GSP+ access, zero-duty access to China, Duty Drawbacks, and concessional Long-Term Financing Facilities (LTFF). He also underscored Pakistan’s strategic geography as a gateway to Central Asia, the Gulf, and the Far East via CPEC and regional road/rail corridors.

Strategic Recommendations and the Way Forward

To maximize regional potential, Sheikh proposed shifting toward greater cross-border collaboration rather than isolated competition:

• Joint Export Strategy: Coordinated efforts to expand market penetration across the European Union, the United States, and emerging African economies.
• Next-Generation Competitiveness: Future success will heavily hinge on ESG sustainability standards, technological innovation, digital traceability, AI-enabled product development, and robust business-to-business (B2B) partnerships.
• Untapped Sectors: Significant growth headroom exists in apparel, home textiles, ready-made garments, and industrial technical textiles.

The presentation concluded with an interactive Q&A session where Sheikh addressed international chamber delegates regarding supply-chain transparency, regulatory compliance, GSP+ utilization, and regional value-chain integration.