German Ambassador Pledges Support for Pakistan’s Apparel Exports, Urges Diversification and Compliance

Lahore, Pakistan – February 8, 2026 — German Ambassador to Pakistan Ina Lepel has reaffirmed Germany’s strong commitment to supporting the growth and competitiveness of Pakistan’s apparel industry, while cautioning that the sector’s export performance has remained largely stagnant for over a decade.
Speaking at an interactive session with senior representatives of Pakistan’s value-added apparel export industry — currently valued at approximately $10 billion — Ambassador Lepel highlighted the urgent need for structural reforms. She noted that Pakistan’s apparel export figures today are almost unchanged compared to a decade ago, emphasizing that diversification, moving up the value chain, innovation, and enhanced global competitiveness are essential to break this stagnation.
The session focused on deepening Pakistan–Germany bilateral trade, strengthening private-sector linkages, increasing women’s employment in the sector, and addressing core challenges faced by exporters.
Key points raised by Ambassador Lepel include:
Pakistan must not take GSP Plus status for granted; strict and sustained compliance with International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, labour rights, human rights, and environmental standards is critical to maintain preferential access to the European Union market.
The apparel industry should diversify beyond traditional textiles and adopt innovative, sustainable manufacturing practices.
Germany stands ready to support Pakistan through technical and vocational training programmes to build a skilled workforce capable of meeting international benchmarks.
The event was attended by leading industry figures including:
PRGMEA North Zone Chairman M Rizwan Zubair (Acting Chairman PRGMEA)
PHMA North Zone Chairman Abdul Hameed
PRGMEA former Chairman Ijaz Khokhar
Industry leaders underscored the sector’s vital role in economic growth, job creation (especially for women), and export diversification. With over 1,500 member firms — many of them SMEs — Pakistan’s garment and hosiery industry remains a cornerstone of value-added exports aligned with global demand.
M Rizwan Zubair highlighted the contribution of SMEs to innovation and employment, particularly for women in urban and rural areas, and credited compliance with ILO conventions for sustaining market access.
Abdul Hameed spoke about the resilience of the hosiery and knitwear sector despite high energy costs, taxation burdens, and bureaucratic obstacles, calling for policy reforms and deeper integration into global supply chains.
Ijaz Khokhar acknowledged the transformative impact of GSP Plus on textile exports but stressed the need for continuous improvement in quality, transparency, and compliance to secure its renewal.
Participants reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening Pakistan–Germany cooperation through expanded trade linkages, improved regulatory frameworks, business delegation exchanges, and joint focus on quality, sustainability, and compliance. Both sides expressed optimism that aligned efforts could unlock significant new growth opportunities for Pakistan’s apparel industry in European and global markets.