LAHORE: The top 25 textile companies have alone contributed over $5.361 billion, or 21 per cent, to the country’s overall exports of $25bn in 2020-21.

“It is a matter of great pleasure that the exports of the textile sector alone soared by 19.23pc to $15.5bn in 2020-21 compared to $13bn the preceding year,” Aptma (North Zone) Chairman Abdul Rahim Nasir told Dawn on Friday. “It is really unprecedented,” he added.

According to a list shared by trade bodies, Style Textile (Pvt) Ltd exports remained $428.76 million in 2020-21, followed by Interloop Ltd with $331.54m, Artistic Milliners (Pvt) Ltd $329.63m, Yunus Textile Mills Ltd $311.92m, Nishat Mills Ltd $307.32m, Gul Ahmad Textile Mills Ltd $284.25m, Feroze 1888 Mills Ltd $273.04m, Soorty Enterprises Ltd $268.14m, Artistic Fabric & Garment Industries (Pvt) Ltd-$226.42m, Liberty Mills $216.33m, Masood Textile Mills Ltd $213.05m, Sadaqat Ltd $209.22m, US Apparel & Textiles Ltd $197.50m, Al-Karam Textile Mills Ltd $185.25m, Nishat (Chunian) Ltd $169.70m, Novatex Ltd $167.49m, Lucky Textile Mills Ltd $165.79m, Garibsons Ltd $165.65m, Denim Clothing Company $148.58m, Klash Ltd $139.16m, Sapphire Finishing Mills Ltd $137.35m, Gohar Textile Mills Ltd $126.78m, Kamal Ltd $125.75m, Riaz Textile Mills Ltd $121.09m and Sapphire Fibres Ltd $111.87m.

He said keeping in view the rapid expansion in the textile exports owing to increasing investments, Aptma has decided to take all those textile exports companies making $40m to 50m per annum to achieve the figure of $100m each. “If we succeed in doing so, our textile exports alone may jump from $15.5bn to $25bn in next couple of years,” he added.

He said the outstanding export performance of the textile sector is a very good omen for the country’s economy.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2021