SHANGHAI, Oct. 1 (Economic Daily-China Economic Net) – Both as textile powerhouses, are China and Pakistan competitive or complementary to each other? What are the uses of different textile materials in Pakistan? At the 2020 China Textile Joint Exhibition held by China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), reporters from Economic Daily-China Economic Net interviewed several exhibitors who have had years of business dealings with Pakistan.

Cotton yarn: China imports low-count yarn for denim, Pakistan high-count yarn for fabrics

Ke Jiangwei, General Manager of Xiamen Naseem Trade Co., Ltd, in an interview with China Economic Net. [Photo/Zhang Peng]

Pakistani-made coarse yarn delivers good value for money as its advantage in cotton fiber overcomes the weakness of coarse yarn production in China's cotton mill, said Ke Jiangwei, General Manager of Xiamen Naseem Trade Co., Ltd., a Pakistani company registered in China, which has imported yarn from Pakistan for many years, "Pakistan mainly produces sirospun and ringspun yarn among others. Sirospuns of 6s yarn, 7s yarn, 8s yarn, 10s yarn, 12s yarn, and 16s yarn are very popular in China, as they are suitable for making denim."

However, Pakistan produces fewer 40s, 50s, and 60s yarns than China does, said Yang Bin, Chairman of Foshan Seazon Textiles and Garment Co., Ltd.

Zheng Peipei, General Manager of Haian Jinhong Chemical Fiber Co., Ltd. in an interview with China Economic Net [Photo/Li Fan]

Haian Jinhong Chemical Fiber Co., Ltd. has been doing business with Pakistan for 15 years, according to Zheng Peipei, the company's General Manager. "Pakistani buyers mainly purchase yarn, nylon, and polyester. Specifically, high-count yarns are used for making fabrics and socks; fishing lines are exported to Karachi for fishing nets; skeins are dyed and made into sewing threads before being sold to local factories for making shoes, bags, and suitcases," said Zheng. "We produce a steady supply of quality goods and export them directly to Pakistan at a price that is at least 10% lower than the market average. That is exactly what the Pakistani market needs."

At the "one-on-one" counseling session, a Chinese seller (right) communicated with buyers from Pakistan and India. [Photo/Li Fan]

A "one-on-one" counseling session was specially initiated by the CNTAC to match Chinese exhibitors with potential buyers. Many Chinese exhibitors had face-to-face communication with Pakistani buyers. "I just talked to a Pakistani buyer and he said that their socks are imported from China," said Ke, Head of Import and Export Department of Shanghai Eiko Textile Co., Ltd.

Ke Mingyu, Head of Import and Export Department of Shanghai Eiko Textile Co., Ltd. in an interview with China Economic Net [Photo/Zhang Peng]

Is there any competition between China and Pakistan in the sock-manufacturing industry? Ke replied that socks made in China and Pakistan differ. "There are big customers who have been purchasing from both us and Pakistan. Pakistani products are predominantly coarse woven, while Chinese products are largely made of chemical fiber."

Viscose staple fiber: no production in Pakistan while China contributes to 80%-90% global capacity

Xu Leilei, a staff member of the Sales Department of CHTC Helon (Weifang) New Materials Co., Ltd. in an interview with China Economic Net [Photo/Li Fan]

"We mainly produce viscose staple fiber with an annual production capacity of 200,000 tons, of which about 1,000 tons are exported to Pakistan per month. We spin yarns into materials, and most of them are exported to Europe and America. Our products are used to make denim, knitted underwear, and also robes for local people," Xu Leilei, a member of the Sales Department in CHTC Helon (Weifang) New Materials Co., Ltd., said in an interview with China Economic Net.

Are there any Pakistani producers alike? "Till now, there is no viscose plant in Pakistan. China is producing 80%-90% of the world's total, with Thailand and Malaysia, etc., taking up a minor share," said Xu.

Spandex: 70% produced in China, as material for stretch denim in Pakistan

Zhou Feiyan (right), Manager of the Marketing Department, and Mao Meng (left), export salesperson of LDZ New Aoshen Spandex Co., Ltd. in an interview with China Economic Net. [Photo/Zhang Peng]

"Highly elastic spandex fiber can be stretched to as much as 400% of its original size, with a resilience rate up to 90%, so it is mainly used to produce garment material, socks, and sanitary products, etc." Zhou Feiyan, manager of the Marketing Department in LDZ New Aoshen Spandex Co., Ltd. said in an interview with China Economic Net. "The world's total capacity of spandex hits around one million tons, of which 70% comes from China. Also, China takes up 70% of the global market, with an annual export revenue totaling 4 million US dollars, while other overseas markets such as South Asia, Europe, and South American countries with advanced textile industries mostly rely on spandex imports."

When it comes to the cooperation with Pakistan, Zhou said, "We complement each other in the market. Pakistan's textile market is dominated by denim, a machine-woven fabric based on the core-spun yarn which is made of covered spandex, so spandex becomes a necessity. As there is no domestic manufacturer, Pakistan imports spandex mainly from China, and also from Vietnam and Turkey. Our products are welcome in Pakistan because they are characterized by high cost-effectiveness, elasticity, and resilience, which are prerequisites for the manufacturing of denim. We export approximately 20 tons of spandex to Pakistan every month."

From the perspective of Zhou, the Pakistani market is rather promising. "That is because Pakistan is embracing a high-end application of spandex, and its market is witnessing a steady growth underpinned by customer loyalty. All these features prove to be in tune with our products. Till now, our exports to Pakistan range from dyeable and highly resilient spandex to high-temperature resistant spandex. In the years to come, spandex with antibacterial, antiviral, mosquito repellent, and TCM-based health-care effect may be welcome there," she said.

Speaking of the cooperation experience with the iron Pak, Zhou said, it's of vital importance to build trust because "customers from Pakistan would prefer their chosen product if they consider it trustworthy." Besides, spandex may create high value though it only accounts for 5%-10% of the fabrics. "We also plan to visit the Pakistani market after the Covid-19 epidemic", Zhou added.

Polyester: few Pakistani producers due to the high cost of manufacturing equipment

According to Shi Qiwen, a salesperson of Fujian Jinxing Group, there aren't many polyester producers in Pakistan. "In front of the producers is a high bar which requires a production capacity amounting to 500,000 or even 1 million tons, along with hundreds of millions worth of investment", she said.

Shi said, "Currently, the textile industry is thriving in such developing countries as Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Vietnam, which thereby become our main export destinations. We began to export to Pakistan before 2015 with products including polyester filament yarn and polyester chips by about 1,000 tons per month."