ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s textile industry has warned that the ongoing nationwide transporters’ strike is disrupting export shipments, choking the supply of raw materials and threatening industrial production, as freight movement remains severely affected across the country.
The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) said containers were stranded at ports and terminals, while exporters were struggling to meet shipment deadlines amid the prolonged suspension of road freight services.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Aptma Chairman Kamran Arshad said: “The textile and apparel sector depends heavily on uninterrupted transportation of cotton, yarn, fabric, dyes, chemicals, accessories, machinery parts and export consignments.”
He warned that any further disruption to the textile supply chain could force mills to curtail production, adding that exporters risked facing order cancellations, financial penalties and loss of international buyers if shipments failed to reach their destinations on time.
The association said the disruption came at a particularly difficult time for the industry, which was already facing high energy costs, liquidity pressures and intense competition from regional exporters.
Aptma also cautioned that repeated transport and logistics disruptions were damaging Pakistan’s reputation as a reliable supplier in international markets and added that delays could make it increasingly difficult for exporters to retain overseas customers and secure future orders.
With textile products accounting for more than 60 per cent of Pakistan’s total exports, the association warned that prolonged disruption could have wider consequences for the country’s foreign exchange earnings, industrial output and employment.
Aptma urged the federal government and relevant authorities to immediately engage with transporters and resolve the dispute through dialogue.
It also called on the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, port authorities, shipping lines and terminal operators to waive demurrage and detention charges arising from delays caused by the strike.
“Swift restoration of the supply chain is essential to protect exports, industrial production, employment and foreign exchange earnings,” Arshad said.
The association warned that every additional day of disruption could increase pressure on exporters already struggling to remain competitive in global markets.
