Asia-Pacific Textile Industry Needs Joint Strategy, Says Atif Ikram Sheikh

KARACHI, September 25, 2026: FPCCI President and ECO-CCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh has called for a joint regional strategy to strengthen the Asia-Pacific textile industry, improve competitiveness and expand the region’s share of global markets.

He made the remarks while presenting Pakistan’s perspective on regional textile integration during a CACCI webinar titled “Textile Industry in Asia Pacific Region: Opportunities, Challenges and Way Forward.”

The webinar was organised under the Asia Textile and Garment Council, chaired by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI). Representatives from 28 CACCI member chambers attended the session.

Asia-Pacific Holds Major Textile Market Share

Atif Ikram Sheikh said the global textile market is projected to increase from $2.12 trillion in 2025 to $4.27 trillion by 2035. Meanwhile, the Asia-Pacific market is expected to grow from $1.14 trillion to $2.33 trillion over the same period.

The region currently accounts for about 53% of the global textile market, he said. The textile sector employs nearly 100 million people worldwide, while the broader fashion and apparel industry supports around 430 million jobs.

He also noted that textiles contribute about 2% to global GDP, while China alone accounts for roughly 32% of global textile exports.

Pakistan Seeks Greater Regional Integration

Atif Ikram Sheikh described textiles as a key pillar of Pakistan’s economy. The sector accounts for about 60% of the country’s exports, with textile exports valued at $17.88 billion.

He said the industry contributes around 24.2% of industrial value addition and provides about 40% of industrial employment.

Pakistan is also the eighth-largest textile exporter in Asia, the third-largest yarn producer, the fifth-largest cotton producer and the fourth-largest cotton consumer, according to figures presented during the webinar.

He highlighted Pakistan’s integrated textile value chain, which stretches from cotton production to finished garments. He also pointed to incentives such as duty-free machinery imports, lower tariffs on raw materials, GSP+ access to the European Union and zero-duty access to China.

Other support measures include Duty Drawback and the Long-Term Financing Facility (LTFF) at concessional rates.

L’Oréal Pakistan Wins Sustainability Award at GCNP 2026

Regional Cooperation Could Expand Export Opportunities

Atif Ikram Sheikh said Pakistan’s geographic position could help connect regional textile producers with Central Asia, the Gulf and Far Eastern markets.

He cited CPEC connectivity and developing road and rail corridors linking Pakistan with Türkiye and Central Asia through Iran as potential advantages for regional trade.

He called on Asia-Pacific countries to combine competition with greater cooperation and explore a joint strategy to increase textile exports to the European Union, Africa and the United States.

He also identified sustainability, technological innovation, digital traceability, artificial intelligence-based product development, cross-border investment and international branding as key areas for future competitiveness.

In addition, he highlighted untapped export opportunities in apparel, home textiles, ready-made garments and industrial textiles. He urged businesses to build stronger regional value chains and expand business-to-business partnerships.

The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session. Representatives of CACCI national member chambers raised questions about supply-chain transparency, regulatory compliance, GSP+ and regional value-chain development.

Atif Ikram Sheikh thanked the CACCI leadership and Secretariat, as well as the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, for supporting the webinar and promoting dialogue on the future of the Asia-Pacific textile sector.