A delegation of textile manufacturers from Shanghai is scheduled to visit Pakistan next year to explore the avenues to import textile products from Pakistan.

This was stated by Chairman of Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA), Zahid Aslam who headed an eight-member delegation held successful negotiations with their Chinese counterparts in Shanghai, Ningbo and Changzhou last week, to find out markets to enhance exports of Pakistan's textile products.

He said that during meetings in these cities he invited the Chinese textile manufacturers to Pakistan to see for themselves the conducive business environment there (in Pakistan). The PTEA Chairman said that he was delighted that they have accepted his invitation and agreed to visit next year.

Zahid said: "We were successful in obtaining export orders for supply of five containers of bed sheets, which is the beginning, and it is hoped that more orders would be forthcoming in future." He said that bed sheets exports to China would start from next month.

The Chinese side, he said, expressed willingness to import yarn, fabrics and bed sheets from Pakistan as they are of the opinion that these products of South Asian country are competitive in price as labour cost and other associated expenditures are on the lower side.

Zahid said that negotiations for import of yarn and fabrics are under progress and expressed hope of their successful conclusion. He said that the PTEA delegation would again visit Shanghai soon to further push these negotiations with the Chinese side.

He said that during the visit to Changzhou, the delegation was informed that 30 percent of total textile production was being exported to various parts of the world. The negotiations with regard to purchase of power-looms for textile were also to continue in future, he said, and expressed hope of positive outcome in this regard. He said that what he transpired from these meetings was that Chinese were willing to do business in close liaison with Pakistani businessmen.