PNN: Pakistan’s cotton yarn exports to China recorded strong growth in 2025, crossing the $450 million mark and underlining the resilience and growing maturity of bilateral textile trade under the China-Pakistan economic partnership.
According to data released by China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC), Pakistan exported more than $451 million worth of cotton yarn to China during the year. Exports of uncombed single cotton yarn under HS code 52051100 alone stood at $233.57m in 2025, up from $222.73m in 2024 — an increase of $10.83m, or around 4.9 per cent year-on-year.
Another major category, uncombed single cotton yarn under HS code 52051200, earned $212.56m in export proceeds during 2025, reflecting the scale and diversity of Pakistan’s yarn shipments to the Chinese market, according to China Economic Net.
Chinese customs data showed that Vietnam remained the largest supplier of yarn under HS 52051100, exporting $341.99m worth to China in 2025, followed by Pakistan with $233.57m, firmly placing Pakistan as the second-largest supplier in this category. Malaysia and Bangladesh trailed far behind, with exports of $17.28m and $12.70m respectively, highlighting Pakistan’s strong competitive position among regional suppliers.
Provincial import figures indicated that Fujian remained the largest destination for Pakistani cotton yarn, importing $107.47m worth under HS 52051100, followed by Guangdong at $72.06m and Beijing at $18.15m. Other major destinations included Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hunan, Shandong and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, pointing to the deep integration of Pakistani yarn into China’s textile and garment manufacturing hubs.
Trade was conducted through multiple regimes, including ordinary trade, bonded entrepot trade, processing with imported materials and customs warehousing, suggesting increasingly sophisticated and diversified supply-chain arrangements.
Speaking to China Economic Net, Sajjad Mazahir, Director of Marketing at Keywin Trading Ltd, said Pakistan’s cotton yarn exports to China had evolved from short-term demand cycles into stable, long-term supply relationships.
“On one hand, it provides Chinese customers with a consistent supply of good-quality raw material at competitive prices, and on the other, it gives Pakistani suppliers a reliable market to earn much-needed foreign exchange,” he said.
He added that China’s garment export industry benefited significantly from Pakistani-origin raw materials in 2025, particularly at a time when US trade tariffs made it more difficult for Chinese manufacturers to produce tariff-free exports using domestic supply chains.
Despite operating in what industry players describe as one of the toughest environments in recent years marked by lower cotton output due to heavy rains and floods, higher energy costs and global economic pressures Pakistani spinners managed to regain market share from mid-2025 onward. Monthly cotton yarn exports averaging $35–40m were described by industry sources as “a pleasant surprise” under the circumstances.
However, experts cautioned that Pakistan’s textile exports to China are still well below their potential, as shipments remain heavily concentrated in raw materials. Structural issues such as inconsistent cotton supply, high energy and financing costs, and limited adaptation to China’s rapidly expanding digital and AI-driven procurement systems continue to constrain value addition and long-term growth.