March 22, 2003	Saturday	Muharram 18, 1424

KARACHI, March 21: Exporters of leather and leather garments are in a quandary as the Iraq war has already started to affect their export contracts. The contracted orders are required to meet customers’ autumn and winter season demand that begins from September in the West.

However, the schedule buyers from the US and the Europe, who normally start placing their orders from early March to end-April, are reluctant to place their orders because of war in Iraq.

Chairman, Pakistan Leather Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PLGMEA), Fawad Ijaz Khan, said that if the Iraq war prolonged the foreign buyers, who visited Pakistan to discuss their orders, would not be able to do so and this might result in cancellation of export orders.

“Some of the foreign buyers have already informed the local exporters about cancellation of their planned visits to Pakistan,” he said and added that in such a situation no foreign buyer will visit Pakistan unless the war ends.

Mr Fawad said the export of leather garments had already declined by 38 per cent during the July-February 2002-03 period as compared to July-February 2001-02. This decline is 45 per cent when compared with July-February 2000-01. The decline in exports of leather garments has been going on since the 9/11 incident.

The PLGMEA chief said during the last two months leather garment exporters had worked very hard by developing new styles and leather qualities and many exporters had participated in the international fairs of leather and leather garments for securing export orders.

The last leather garments show of coming autumn and winter seasons is being held in Hong Kong from April 7-10. This is the largest leather garments fair held every year.