A Visit To Pakistan'S Textile And Dyeing Industry

2008 seems to be a watershed.

Bashir, the technical director, seemed to confirm this.

Originally thought that Pakistan's textile industry mainly faced with the European and American markets, but it was not until the Azam (Azam) textile wholesale market that Pakistan was a Muslim textile center.

The weather in Lahore is a bit like Xiamen.

In April, the red kapok was already blooming and adorned with green flowers.

The factory's factory building is made of red brick made of high-quality clay. It is hard to imagine that it is a printing and dyeing factory.

Entering the printing and dyeing workshop, the workshop can be described as spotless, and there is no visible "dripping" in the general printing and dyeing workshop, and few workers are working.

If we did not see the colorful cloth running through each dyed and finishing line, I could not believe it was a printing and dyeing factory.

"We only have three pre-processing lines, but now the monthly output can reach 5 million meters."

Our director is Mr. Jameel.

Director of Jamie graduated from Bolton (Bolton) University in Manchester, England, aged more than 30.

"What we are doing now is mainly the top quality pure cotton fabric. The quality is the first. 60% of our products are made of vat dyes instead of reactive dyes. The brand of Sapphire is very famous all over the world."

A few words from director of Jamie made me feel the status of Pakistan textile and dyeing industry in the world.

But after all, vat dyes are much more expensive than reactive dyes, and the profit margins are generally only 3%~5%.

How can Pakistan remain competitive? I seem to have got the answer during my visit to several factories.

The textile industry is Pakistan's most important pillar industry and the largest export industry.

Mushtaq is the technical director of the Hira Terry towel factory. He always regards the towel business in China, especially the home textile of Japan, as the target of competition, although the Hira Terry towel factory is only a small factory with a daily output of 20 tons.

"The quality of our products is very high. At present, our orders are increasing, and two new power plants are being built in Lahore. We have great potential."

Mushtaq gave me an account. I can see the cost advantage of textile production in Pakistan from some cost accounts of towel factory (see table).

US Denim Mills Private Limited Liability Company is a cowboy cloth factory. The company's operation director, Mr. Hamid, is a Ph.D. from Bolton University. His idea has made me see another competitiveness of Pakistan textile.

"The quality of denim depends on two aspects. The first is to take the lead in the trend. More importantly, the denim produced should take into account the technological requirements of downstream garments and washing plants, so that they can use them without worries."

His words reminded me of the experience of visiting Hongkong Regent Group 4 years ago in Guangdong, Zhongshan.

At that time, the factory processed 60 thousand jeans for a world-famous brand every day, and their denim fabrics came from some denim enterprises in northern China. The biggest problem that puzzled the technicians was that the quality of every cloth purchased was different. They had to set up a department specially for each cloth proofing plate, and then used different formulation techniques to make the jeans produced to achieve the same quality.

At that time, the chief technology officer of the factory was very helpless.

"High end cowboy orders have basically been pferred from China to Pakistan."

Hamid thinks so.

In another cowboy clothing factory Cotton Web, Mark Hyde M, chief technology officer, also believes that after 2008,

Production has apparently shifted from China to Pakistan.

2008 seems to be a watershed. Bashir, the technical director of Gul Ahmed textile printing and dyeing plant in Karachi, seems to confirm this.

"In 2008, our monthly output was 1 million meters, and now it is 7 million meters."

The Gul Ahmed textile printing and dyeing factory is a home textile enterprise. Its product width reaches 3.2 meters. At present, they are IKEA's largest textile suppliers in the world.

When I discussed with Mr. Bashir a new process of environmental protection, he first thought of letting his customers IKEA people join in the project. So he immediately contacted the head of Sweden home by e-mail.

Skilled English communication skills and international thinking among middle level technicians are another great advantage and potential of Pakistan's textile industry.

Originally thought that Pakistan's textile industry mainly faced with the European and American markets, but it was not until the Azam (Azam) textile wholesale market that Pakistan was a Muslim textile center.

Azam textile wholesale market is located in the center of the ancient city of Lahore. It has a history of more than 60 years. All Muslim merchants in the Middle East, Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and even Xinjiang, China, have come to this market to purchase traditional Muslim clothing.

"I can sell about 1000 sets of cloth every day (7 m / set) at a price of 30~80 dollars."

Wassem is pleased to tell me that he has a big presence in the market.

Not only does it have a building in the market, but also has a printing and dyeing factory dedicated to the market.

"The price of the market is now 30 thousand dollars per square meter."

His career started from his father's generation, and his father was chairman of the Lahore Textile Association.

"There are about 300 textile printing and dyeing factories in Lahore, gugillan, La, and" Fei ".

The output of Mr. Sal Watt's factory is 15 thousand meters per month.

Standing on the newly bought automatic embroidery machine imported from Germany, he continued: "German machines are the best, though the price is 3 times that of Japanese machines."

He handed me a cloth sample. "In Pakistan, the cloth in the domestic market does not mean low quality. The traditional clothes are made of 100~120 cotton yarn, and they are combined before they are weaving. They are singled out and steamed before, and the technology is very special, so they can not be imitated in other places."

leave

At the time of market, the setting sun is sprinkled on the red old city wall beside the market in Lahore. This old castle built in 1021 shows new vitality, which seems to indicate the past, present and future of Pakistan's textile industry.