Sales of protective wear to help reverse fall in exports

Exports of PPE, masks and other protective gear — a new market — have increased, Abdul Razak Dawood, the trade adviser to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, told journalists. Textiles, which account for half of the nation’s export, is also seeing a pick up in orders, he said.

Pakistan has “really moved fast into that area,” Dawood said, referring to PPE. The current year should be a better one than last, he said. South Asia’s second-largest economy, whose exports dropped 7 per cent in the year ended June, isn’t alone in stepping up production of PPEs. Neighbour India has become the world’s second-biggest maker of PPE kits after a shortage at the beginning of the outbreak pushed it to boost local manufacturing.

Supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic has meant Pakistan secured its first sportswear order from Hugo Boss AG, according to Ijaz Akhtar Khokhar, chief coordinator at Pakistan Readymade Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association. Pakistan plans to give tax incentives to any global brand that opens an office in the country, said trade adviser Dawood.

The South Asian nation is looking to spur growth in the economy after its first contraction in 68 years in the year ended June. While exports dropped in seven out of the past 12 months, the rupee’s depreciation — by more than 50 per cent since late 2017 — has made the nation’s shipments competitive globally, said Dawood.