Indian yarn is reportedly coming into Pakistan from four countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand despite a trade ban with New Delhi.
Sources told ProPakistani that the directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Karachi in its communication to the Director Headquarters Customs I&I Islamabad to circulate information to all field formations with the advice to ensure due diligence about the origin of yarn coming from Dubai, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Sources said that the directorate of Customs I&I Karachi has credible information that Indian yarn is still finding its way to Pakistan via Dubai, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.
The labels, packing, and container of a consignment of yarn come from India in these countries and is then shipped to Pakistan. Sources said that there is a substantial increase in the import of yarn from these countries after 2019-20.
Sources said that Pakistan imported 141 Metric Ton (MT) yarn worth of Rs. 69 million yarn from UAE in 2019-20, 666 MT worth Rs. 231 million in 2020-21, 1,018 MT worth Rs. 355 million in 2021-22 and 890 MT worth of Rs. 319 million yarn imported from UAE in 2022-23.
Similarly, Pakistan also imported 10,608 MT yarn worth Rs. 2.1 billion from Malaysia in 2019-20, 15,149 MT worth Rs. 2.5 billion in 2020-21, 18,154 MT worth Rs. 4.5 billion in 2021-22 and 19,266 MT worth Rs. 5.9 billion yarn from Malaysia in 2022-23.
Furthermore, Pakistan also imported 105,780 MT yarn worth Rs. Rs21 billion from Indonesia in 2019-20, 144,128 MT worth Rs. 30 billion in 2020-21, 158,680 MT worth Rs. 50 billion yarn in 2021-22 and 95,195 MT worth Rs. 39 billion yarn from Indonesia in 2022-23.
Meanwhile, Pakistan imported 80,086 MT yarn worth Rs. 16 billion from Thailand in 2019-20, 87,784 MT worth Rs. 16 billion in 2020-21, 97,057 MT worth Rs. 29 billion in 2021-22 and 65,675 MT worth Rs. 28 billion yarn from Thailand in 2022-23.
Overall, Pakistan imported 200,963 MT yarn worth Rs. 41 billion in 2019-20 from five countries including India, UAE, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. In 2020-21, Pakistan imported 247,740 tons worth Rs. 49 billion yarn, 274,909 ton yarn worth Rs. 84 billion in 2021-22, and 181,026 tons worth Rs. 74.5 billion yarn from the above-mentioned countries excluding India in 2022-23.
Before the trade ban, Pakistan imported 43, 48 tons yarn worth Rs. 2.2 billion from India in 2019-20, 39.685 tons worth Rs. 19 billion yarn in 2018-19, 19,971 tons worth Rs. 6.4 billion in 2017-18 and 25,392 tons yarn worth Rs. 11.1 billion from India in 2016-17.
