The Pakistan Textile Council (PTC) has expressed concern over the recent changes to the Export Facilitation Scheme (EFS), highlighting operational hurdles faced by textile and apparel exporters. The amendments, notified through S.R.O. 1435(I)/2025 on August 5, have raised uncertainty within the industry.
PTC Chairman Fawad Anwar noted that while the Council does not support the policy in its revised form, the exclusion of essential raw materials such as cotton, cotton yarn, and cotton grey cloth contradicts the scheme’s facilitation purpose and impacts the competitiveness of exporters.
A key issue flagged by the PTC is the lack of clarity on the specific HS codes or tariff lines excluded from the Export Facilitation Scheme. Without official notification of these tariff lines, both exporters and customs authorities face confusion, leading to procedural delays and inconsistent application of rules.
“This lack of clarity is already disrupting supply chains in Pakistan’s textile sector, which remains the country’s largest source of export earnings,” Anwar warned.
The Pakistan Textile Council has called on the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to urgently issue a clarification, ensuring exporters and customs officials can work with transparency and uniformity. The Council also reiterated its opposition to removing key raw materials from the scheme, stressing that such measures risk weakening the sector’s global competitiveness.