Karachi, Pakistan: The reduced cost of Brazilian cotton this year has led to large-scale imports by local textile mills, raising concerns for US cotton exporters. In response, US industry bodies are pressuring Pakistani officials to eliminate the mandatory port “fumigation” requirement for American cotton to boost their exports to the country.
Ehsaan ul Haq, Chairman of the Cotton Ginners Forum, explained that for decades, imported cotton destined for Pakistan was subjected to fumigation in the exporting country, followed by a 48-hour secondary fumigation at the port of Karachi. This measure was critical for ensuring the elimination of germs, pests, and insects in the cotton.
He noted that previously, the relevant federal ministry had permitted fumigation in only one country instead of both, to reduce the time required for imported cotton to reach the textile mills.
US Lobbying and Pest Threat: Haq revealed that two key US cotton export agencies, the National Cotton Council and Cotton Council International, have appealed through APTMA (All Pakistan Textile Mills Association) to the federal ministry to completely lift the fumigation requirement on cotton imported from the US, with the express aim of increasing US cotton imports.
Haq strongly advised Pakistani authorities to reject this demand to safeguard the country against pests potentially carried from the US. He warned that historically, two dangerous cotton pests (American and Pink bollworm) and the wheat weevil became active in Pakistan due to inadequate fumigation of cotton and wheat imported from the United States.
Pressure on Local Industry: He also highlighted the extreme pressure facing Pakistan’s local textile and cotton industry, citing factors such as exorbitant taxes, high electricity and gas tariffs, and elevated interest rates. These factors have led to an extraordinary surge in production costs, causing ginning factories, oil mills, and textile mills to progressively shut down
