The Government of Pakistan has allowed the import of cotton from Central Asian countries and Afghanistan – through land – to meet its requirements for the textile sector.
The approval was given by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on 22 November following the proposal submitted by the Ministry of Commerce and Textile.
The meeting, presided by Finance Minister Asad Umar, approved the cotton import through Torkham border only if the imported cotton met sanitary and phytosanitary regulations.
In a statement, the ECC urged the ministries to coordinate with the textile industry and set up a permanent quarantine facility for cotton imported via land.
It is worth noting that imports through land from Afghanistan and Central Asian nations are very cheap for Pakistan compared to importing from the USA.
The Ministry added that Afghanistan is the only route for importing cotton to Pakistan and so pest scouting of Central Asian states is necessary to prevent the local cotton from getting infected.