LAHORE, Aug 28: Pakistan will feature as the "Focus Country" at the ASAP Global Sourcing Show starting on Sunday at Las Vegas, USA.

"The ASAP Global is the largest garment sourcing show held in the US," its country manager in Pakistan Nadeem Sarwar said at a news conference here on Saturday.

"This special status allows Pakistan several free-of-cost benefits which include premium show floor location, special media coverage of its pavilion, special mention in the pre-show marketing campaign, full page colour advertisement in the ASAP Sourcing Guide, specific marketing of Pakistan's sourcing strengths," he said.

More than 20 textile manufacturing countries including China and India are exhibiting in the event and have built big national pavilions to attract potential US buyers.

Over 17 textile manufacturing giants from Pakistan are displaying their products with the hope of receiving immense international visibility for the textile products, which constitute more than 65 per cent of the country's exports. The US is the largest importer of textile garments from Pakistan.

"With the abolition of quotas from next year, the buying patterns of the US importers are also expected to change with the change of trading regulations. The abolition of the quota regime will lead to a fierce competition among the supplying nations.

In the post-quota era, the market share will be determined by efficiency in production and efficacy of marketing strategy.

In these circumstances, marketing of the products will assume greater importance in the international trade," Mr Sarwar said.

He said the ASAP show provided Pakistan with an opportunity to market its textiles in the United States at a time when most US buyers would be making their decisions for 2005.