KARACHI, July 11: Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (Prgmea) South Zone chairman Zubair Parekh has advised textile exporters to prepare vigorously for the WTO regime as Pakistan will have some edge over its competitors such as China.

Addressing a conference on “Future of textiles and clothing” organized by Prgmea on Thursday evening, he anticipated that quantitative restrictions could be imposed on China by the US and the European Union with the start of textile quota free period from January 1, 2005.

Allaying fears of Prgmea members that China will be dominating the textile trade in quota free phase, he said that under the accession agreements signed due to Chin’s late entry in the WTO in cases where growth exceeded 7.5 per cent in any textile category quantitative restrictions would be imposed on the supplier countries.

He informed the participants that many US and EU companies had prepared their cases for imposing restrictions on import of textiles from China after January 2005.

Detailed papers were read out at the conference, which was due to be presided over by EPB chairman Tariq Ikram, who did not turn up due to some pressing engagements.

Prgmea members, Razzak Paracha and Asim Khan, presented their studies through slides on how to become more competitive and socially compliant, which are the hallmark of the quota free regime.

Prgmea has taken a number of steps to help its members prepare for the WTO regime. The zonal chairman said the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (Unido) had fixed a benchmark known as FIT for determining capability of a company to compete in the world market. The analysis of FIT applied by a company would reveal any deficiency regarding high cost, pricing, and lacunas in social compliance.

Zubair Parekh said the association had made arrangements with the Asia Institute of Fashions Designs, which would provide graduates to garment exporters to have their own designing facility.

Razzak Paracha in his bullets points displayed by slides stressed upon exporters to ensure quality, costing, efficiency, shorter lead-time, mix of textile clothing, modernization, customers relations, and labour friendly atmosphere in factories to survive in the quota free era.