LAHORE, Nov 30: French Counsellor Jean Phillipe Quercy has said French textile industry is ready to assist its Pakistani counterpart to upgrade and innovate its industry to face the growing competition in the region.

Inaugurating the Franco-Pakistan textile industry seminar organised by the economic department of French Embassy in collaboration with the French Agency for International Development and French Textile Machinery Manufacturers Association here on Thursday, he said Pakistan’s textile industry required to upgrade its production process because the centre of world textile market had shifted to the region during the past decades, and it was facing growing competition from its neighbouring countries.

He said Pakistan’s textile sector had not only two-thirds share in the country’s exports but was also a major player in the international textile market. French being the oldest centre of textile industry in Europe and a leader in fashion designing could assist the textile industry in Pakistan in its efforts for upgradation and innovation by offering latest production technology. Pakistan School of Fashion Design was already being assisted by two French schools.

He said the French private sector had confidence in the economy of Pakistan. A number of French multinationals were already present here. Its textile industry was also ready to increase its presence in Pakistan.

All-Pakistan Textile Mills Association vice-chairman Samir Saigol said the textile industry had invested Rs6 billion in modernisation and upgradation since 2000 for remaining competitive in the region and increasing exports from Rs450 billion to Rs800 billion by 2014. He said the industry of Pakistan had to compete with heavily incentivised industries of China, India and Bangladesh.

He said France should help in increasing access of Pakistani textile industry to European market and by getting anti-dumping duty on bed linen lifted.

French Textile Machinery Industry Association secretary-general Evelyn Cholet said France was the third largest exporter of textile machinery in European Union and fifth largest in the world. More than 100 countries had business partnerships with its textile machinery manufacturers who exported 90 per cent of their production.