Karachi(The COW News Digital) U.S. cotton export agencies have requested Pakistani authorities to remove the fumigation requirement for cotton imports at ports, a move aimed at boosting the import of American cotton amid growing competition from Brazil.
According to Ihsan ul Haq, Chairman of the Cotton Ginners Forum, the fumigation process has been a standard practice in Pakistan for decades. Imported cotton is traditionally fumigated to eliminate pests, insects, and pathogens, with an additional 48-hour fumigation period conducted at Karachi port to ensure safety before reaching local textile mills.
However, following an earlier policy change by the federal government, fumigation was allowed to be conducted in either the exporting country or Pakistan, expediting delivery to textile mills. Despite this adjustment, U.S. export agencies, including the National Cotton Council and Cotton Council International, have appealed to Pakistani authorities to completely remove the fumigation requirement for cotton imported from the United States. The agencies argue that eliminating this step will increase U.S. cotton imports into Pakistan.
Haq, however, warned that accepting this demand could expose Pakistan’s cotton industry to pests and insects, emphasizing the need for continued port fumigation to protect local agriculture. He noted that previous incidents, including the introduction of two dangerous cotton pests—pink bollworm from the U.S. and another strain affecting wheat known as the “red bag”—occurred due to insufficient fumigation of imported cotton and wheat.
The cotton industry in Pakistan is already under considerable pressure due to high taxes, expensive electricity and gas tariffs, and rising interest rates. These factors have significantly increased production costs, forcing ginning factories, oil mills, and textile mills to reduce operations or shut down entirely. The potential risk of importing un-fumigated U.S. cotton could exacerbate these challenges, adding pest management costs to an already struggling sector.
Authorities are now faced with balancing the demands of U.S. exporters with the need to protect domestic agriculture and maintain the viability of Pakistan’s textile industry, a critical sector for the national economy.
The outcome of this decision will have far-reaching implications for cotton imports, industrial operations, and pest control measures in Pakistan’s textile supply chain.
